Have Yourself a Merry Little
by TStabler
Summary: The return of the holiday series! One and Two-shots, some fluffy, some smutty, and some in-between, all about the woes and joys of the Holiday season. Now until Christmas Eve. E/O, F/Mel, and other surprises await!
1. Elfin Mischief Part One

**A/N: It's December 1****st****! I was supposed to start a new long-fic, but it's time for the holiday series. This first one is long, possible two-shot. Enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and related characters/ideas belong to Dick Wolf. Original plot and dialogue belong to TStabler©**

Elliot stood in the hallway of Trinity Prep, his kids' school, adjusting his son's red and green striped tie. "You're gonna be fine, kid," he said. "Just remember this is just one night for a bunch of people who won't even remember who you were in ten years."

"Gee, thanks," Dickie scoffed.

"That was supposed to make you feel better," Elliot said, smirking.

Dickie rolled his eyes. "Now I'm nervous and depressed," he said. "Where's Liv?" he asked.

Kathy tensed up immediately. "Why would she be here?" she asked, glancing questioningly at Elliot.

Elliot sighed and looked at the blonde who was still, legally, his wife. "Because Dickie invited her, Kathy. Christ, the kid's known her since he was six years old, he might like her or something."

"Love," Dickie corrected, eying his dad cautiously. "And I'm not the only one. Look, I gotta go. Save a seat for Liv. I know she's coming. She's gotta come. Right?"

"She wouldn't miss this, bud," Elliot said with a smile. "Tell your sister to stay calm. You know her voice does that creepy, high, annoying thing when she's nervous."

Dickie chuckled. "It's an improvement," he said. "I should tell her Steven Spielberg is in the audience and make her really freak out." He gave his dad a high-five, then kissed his mother on the cheek before he ran for the stage entrance.

"He wanted your partner to be here?" Kathy snapped the second Dickie couldn't hear her. "The Christmas Eve pageant at our children's school, a traditional family night, and she's coming?" She widened her eyes as they walked back toward the auditorium doors. "Jesus, Elliot, you don't know when enough is enough, do you?"

"Eight years!" Elliot hissed. "Eight fucking years, Kathy! Knowing someone, especially someone like Olivia for that long, you're bound to fall in love with them!"

Kathy scoffed, folded her arms, and smirked. "Oh, really? I've known her that long and I can't stand her."

"Because you don't really know her," he said to her, walking toward his seat. "You never gave her a damned chance, you just wrote her off because you were so fucking threatened by her." He sat, and heard a voice from the seat beside him.

"Who's being threatened?" the woman asked.

Elliot turned, sighed, and smiled. "Hey, Liv," he said, moving toward her. Then stopping. He furrowed his brow. Did he really just try to kiss her? "No one," he said, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

"Hi, Kathy," Olivia said, giving her partner's wife a sweet smile. She got a grunt in return. "I see the Grinch is as charming as ever," she mumbled under her breath, settling back into her seat. She heard Elliot chuckle and snicker, and she laughed softly as she rolled her eyes. She leaned into him and whispered, "Most men would be a little annoyed if I insulted their wives."

He looked into her eyes, conveying the true meaning of his words, and said, "I'm not like most men."

She swallowed, hard. "No," she said with a small shake of her head. "No, you're not." She turned back to face the stage and asked, "So what parts are they playing?"

"Dickie is the head elf, he asked me to ask you to please not laugh at his pointy ears or curly shoes, and Lizzie is the new elf who can't get her shoes or ears until she does something nice…or something…she was talking so fast I really didn't get it."

Olivia chuckled as the lights dimmed, and the unlikely trio turned their attention to the stage. Dickie walked out, nearly tripping over his shoes, and proclaimed loudly, "Okay, Rookies! Tonight is a big night for you! Hear in Santaland, we pride ourselves on making the people of New York City remember the true meaning of Christmas, while, of course, littering the place with decorations and presents."

The audience chuckled, and Olivia and Elliot glanced at each other, smiling. Kathy noticed, and she grimaced as she sunk further into her seat. She wouldn't be minding so much if she hadn't made a stupid decision that morning, making it near impossible to stop them. She looked back toward her son with a sigh.

On stage, Dickie paced back and forth with folded arms, looking at the row of younger elves before him. "Tonight, the night before Christmas, you must earn the right and privilege to call yourself an elf! To call yourself Santa's little helper! Each of you must find one poor soul in the audience...er...uh…city…who needs a little help to remember what Christmas is all about. If you can bring them joy, peace, and love before midnight, then you will be the primary team of toymakers next year, working directly alongside the big guy himself! Are you ready?"

Seven young elves cheered, "Yeah!" while one was noticeably silent and still. Lizzie.

"You don't have much time," Dickie the Elf said. He lifted a whistle from around his neck to his lips, and he said, "On your mark, get set." He blew the whistle and seven elves took off running, while Lizzie's sad looking elf stayed behind.

Olivia glanced at Elliot again, pouting. "Poor thing," she said with a chuckle.

Elliot unconsciously leaned into her and nodded, then looked back toward the stage with a sigh. He knew what he really wanted for Christmas, but he thought it might be too late to get it. Or too soon, depending on how you looked at it.

Dickie took a step toward Lizzie. "What's the problem, young one?" he asked, tilting his head. One of his pointed ears fell off, the audience laughed, and he simply pulled his red and green felt hat over that ear. "The rest of your group is going to be back with…"

"I can't do this, Sir," Lizzie declared, interrupting, her voice higher than normal.

Elliot heard Olivia chuckle, and he knew she caught Lizzie's nervous habit. "She'll be okay," he heard her whisper as he felt her hand on his knee. He took a sharp breath, looked at her hand, took a glance at Kathy, and realized it didn't matter anymore. He placed his hand over Olivia's and looked back up at the stage, oblivious to the smile growing on his face.

"You can't do what, young one?" Dickie asked, stepping closer to Lizzie again.

Lizzie shook her head. "I can't help anyone. I wouldn't even know where to start." She shrugged and said, "I always make more of a mess of things than fix them." She kicked one of the styrofoam snowballs and said, "Besides, how am I supposed to know who needs my help and who doesn't?"

"Look, kid," Dickie said with a smirk, making Olivia, Elliot, and even Kathy chuckle. He was definitely channeling his father. "I don't normally do this, but I'm gonna help you." He put his arm around her and said, "I'll help you find someone who needs a little help, but you have to help them on your own. How's that sound?"

Lizzie nodded and let Dickie lead her down the stairs into the audience. "What about that guy?" she asked, pointing to someone sitting in the second row.

Dickie shook his head. "He's perfectly happy," he said. "Try again, kid."

Lizzie tapped the side of her cheek, looking around and thinking. "Her?" she questioned, pointing to someone in the back.

"Unfortunately," Dickie said, "She's beyond our help, kid. Look for someone you believe is missing something. Something that Christmas just…wouldn't be Christmas without."

Lizzie looked around, then spotted her father and Olivia. "Them!" she yelled, pointing.

"Oh, no," Olivia grumbled, sinking down in her seat.

"They didn't say anything about audience participation," Elliot whispered to her. They watched, worried, as Lizzie and Dickie, followed by a spotlight, ran over to their row, stood beside Kathy's chair, and folded their arms.

"All right, kid," Dickie said with a smirk, "What's the trouble with these fine looking people. They seem happy enough to me."

Lizzie shook her head and said, "They're not." She looked at Dickie and said, "I can feel it, Sir. They're missing something that makes Christmas truly special."

"What's that?" Dickie asked, folding his arms.

Lizzie giggled. "Christmas is about love, right? It's about sharing the values of friendship and trust and faith and family with someone you truly love," she said, grabbing Olivia's hand.

"Lizzie," Olivia whispered. "What are you doing?" she hissed as the girl pulled her out of her seat and forced her out of the row into the aisle, into the light.

"This woman," Lizzie said, tugging on Olivia's shirt, "And this man," she added, holding her hand out to her father, "Are clearly missing the point."

Elliot raised his eyebrows, looked at Kathy, who seemed annoyed but amused, and slipped his hand into his daughter's. He glanced at Olivia as he stood up and let Lizzie pull him to the middle of the aisle and push him into Olivia.

Dickie held in a laugh as he asked, "And how do you plan on changing all of that before midnight, kid?"

Lizzie looked at him. She thought for a second, and then she ran back up onto the stage. "I got it!"

"Hey, kid! Where are you going?" Dickie yelled.

"I'll be right back!" Lizzie yelled, running off stage. She reappeared a moment later, carrying a small green and red plant and a very large candy cane in her hands. The spotlight followed her back to Dickie, Elliot, and Olivia. "Mistletoe. I hope this works," she said, tying the plant to the hook end of the cane. She brushed her hair back and the audience gasped and laughed, as one of her ears was now pointed.

"I think it's working already, kid," Dickie chuckled.

Lizzie lifted the candy cane, with the mistletoe dangling from the hook, over her father's head. "Um..." she hummed, looking pleadingly at her father.

Elliot looked up, then looked at Olivia, and then looked at Lizzie with an annoyed expression. Nothing else happened.

"Kiss her!" Dickie whispered harshly, but the audience laughed, hearing him since he was wearing a microphone.

Elliot looked at his son, rolled his eyes, then looked back at Olivia. He took a breath and let it out, moved closer to her, and looked into her eyes, almost apologetically. He rested his hands on her arms, holding her still, and moved in further, letting his lips press softly to hers.

The audience cheered and clapped, and then the sound of bells ringing filled the room. A loud, "Ho, ho, ho," was heard, and a kid dressed as Santa walked out onto the stage.

Olivia and Elliot broke apart, but didn't turn to look at the child dressed in red. They were still staring at each other.

"Young elfling," Santa said, stepping down and toward Lizzie, "You have given two people the gift of love on this Christmas Eve. Something very special, something very selfless, and something that God himself has bestowed upon us all. You have truly earned these, young one." He held out a pair of green shoes with curled toes and bells on the end. "Are you looking forward to being my executive elf next year?

"Oh, boy!" Lizzie cried, jumping into the air as she took the shoes from Santa.

The audience roared in applause as Dickie and Lizzie followed Santa back onto the stage. The rest of the elves came back out onto the stage, they joined hands, and took a bow, but Olivia and Elliot were still staring at each other.

Suddenly, they both spoke. "That was…" "I guess they thought we…"

"You first," Olivia said, nodding.

Elliot cleared his throat. "I guess they thought we wouldn't mind. It was just a part of the show. Wasn't it?"

Olivia nodded. "Guess so," she said, dropping her gaze from his eyes to his lips. She wanted to kiss him again. Once wasn't enough, and she was so close to getting what she really wanted for Christmas. "That was…"

"That was fun," Kathy interrupted, appearing next to them. "I'm gonna go get the kids," she snapped, looking at Elliot. "They have a lot of explaining to do."

Elliot looked at her for a moment. "Right," he said, letting her leave without saying anything else, without letting go of Olivia. He looked back at Olivia and said, "Before you say anything about Kathy…this morning…she, uh, she handed me a stack of papers and said, 'Merry Christmas.' I'm not moving back home. It's over. My present from her is a div…"

"Oh," Olivia said, backing up. "I'm sorry, I…I didn't know…"

He gripped her, pulling her back toward him. "I'm telling you now, and there's nothing to be sorry about. You heard that wonderful little elf, we were obviously missing the point." He brushed her hair back behind her ear and looked into her eyes. "Could we try that again? Without the audience?"

She blinked and smirked. She nodded at him, then very hesitantly and jerkily moved toward him. Their lips met and it felt like a Christmas miracle wrapped in a dream and topped with a shooting star. Every wish she'd ever made came true when he pulled her closer, held her tighter, and ran his tongue over her lower lip. She opened her mouth just enough for him to poke his tongue in and deepen the kiss.

"Hey, guys?" a voice behind them said, breaking them apart. "The show's over. You can stop that now."

Elliot pulled his lips away from Olivia's, but rested his forehead against hers. He nodded. He ignored Kathy and looked at Dickie. "Thanks, kid," he said to his son.

Dickie grinned. "See, Dad?" he said. "I told you I wasn't the only one who..."

Kathy looked at her son, hurt and irritated. "You planned this?" she asked, interrupting and squinting at him.

Lizzie smiled. "It wasn't him, Mom," she said. "We had to pick two people and make them kiss. We just thought they wouldn't mind being involved. But you heard Santa. There was a much higher power at work here tonight. This was obviously meant to happen."

Olivia chuckled and looked over at the kids. She saw the looks of pure joy on their faces before she glanced at Kathy, who looked beyond pissed. Her smiled faded then.

Elliot saw this and gave her a reassuring squeeze.

"Maureen and Kathleen are on their way to your apartment, Elliot," Kathy said through gritted teeth. "We should go. Family traditions, remember? Family," she spat. She glared at Olivia, making it clear that she was not considered family.

Elliot nodded. "It's Christmas Eve," he said. "So we all get to open one present when we get home. The first one to the car gets the first gift."

Dickie and Lizzie yelled and laughed as they shoved each other and took off running. Kathy sighed, giving him a sorrowful shake of her head, and then followed her kids. Elliot looked back at Olivia and said, "You're coming."

She shook her head. "El, I can't…"

"It wasn't a question, Liv," he said, pulling her with him as he walked. "How can I open my present if my present isn't even there?"

She furrowed her brow, then one eyebrow shot into the air and smirked slowly. "Oh, really, Stabler?"

He chuckled. "Merry Christmas," he said, kissing her again as they left the auditorium. When they walked out into the snowy evening, he looked up and smiled. He said a silent thank you, and he took hold of Olivia's hand. He didn't know why his kids did it, but he was certainly grateful they did. They just gave him the best gift ever, and he chuckled as he thought about how much he couldn't wait to open it.

**A/N: Part two: He opens his present. ;) Gotta love Holiday fluff. **


	2. Elfin Mischief Part Two

**A/N: Gift opening! Yay!**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and related characters/ideas belong to Dick Wolf. Original plot and dialogue belong to TStabler©**

Christmas Eve at Elliot's lavishly decorated apartment would have normally made Olivia roll her eyes, but she was having a blast. They told jokes, played games, and made a gingerbread house that looked more like a pile of raw dough with whipped cream on top. The kids decorated cookies, begging Olivia to help them. They got into an icing fight with her. Candy was tossed to and fro, landing on everything but the cookies.

Kathy was livid as she watched her family bring an intruder into their traditions, but Elliot had never been happier, and it was clear that Olivia hadn't either. That made it all slightly awkward. Every time Olivia laughed and turned her head toward Elliot, she'd see Kathy fuming next to him. Her smile would fade until one of the kids grabbed her attention.

"Okay, guys," Kathy said, having had enough. "Get out of the kitchen, come open your gifts, and get to bed." Under her breath she mumbled, "I wanna get the hell out of here."

Maureen and Kathleen set the cookies in the middle of the table, wiped off their hands, and walked into the living room. Dickie jumped onto Olivia's back with a laugh, and Lizzie twirled into the room like a ballerina.

"Christmas with the Stablers," Olivia chuckled as she walked, piggy-backing Dickie, into the room. "Gotta love it."

Elliot laughed at her. "You're loving this," he said.

She dropped Dickie and watched him run toward the tree, then folder her arms. "Most of it. If looks could kill, the one Kathy has been giving me all night would have made my head explode long ago."

"I told you not to worry about her, all right?" He kissed her softly on her cheek, took her hand, and led her to the couch.

Everyone sat, and Elliot leaned under the tree, grabbing two boxes. "Okay, since Dickie made it to the car first," he laughed, tossing a box to his only son. "Here ya go, kid. First gift is yours."

Dickie caught the gift, looked at the tag, then looked at Olivia. "You didn't have to…"

"Yes, I did," she returned with a smile.

"No, you didn't," Kathy said, her eyes dark and narrow as she glared at the stunning brunette who was in her usual spot beside Elliot.

Olivia glared back, returning the evil eyes for the first time all night. She saw Kathy look surprised and shrink back in her seat, and she smirked. "Open it," she said, looking at Dickie with a softer expression.

Dickie tore off the paper, excited, and he let out a squeal as he lifted the lid off the box. "Holy cow!" he yelled. "It's signed! How did you get it signed?"

"I know the guy," Olivia shrugged.

Dickie lifted his signed baseball jersey out of the box and ran to her, hugging her.

"Probably slept with him," Kathy mumbled, low, hoping no one heard her.

Elliot furrowed his brow at her. "No, actually, we cleared his name once," he said. "Will you knock it off?"

Kathy rolled her eyes and stayed quiet as the rest of the kids opened their midnight gift. To her dismay, they were all from Olivia, and they were all perfect.

* * *

After the last gift had been unwrapped, Elliot's to Kathy, a striped sweater, the blonde rose from the sofa. "Well, I can't say this was the best Christmas Eve I've ever had," she said, looking at Elliot.

"Pity," he shrugged. "It was the best one of my life. Dinner's tomorrow at five, and yes, Liv will be here, so you have to make the choice to come or not."

Kathy rolled her eyes. "You're impossible," she hissed. She grabbed her jacket, shouted rushed goodbyes to the kids, and stormed out of his apartment.

Elliot turned with a chuckle and said, "She really doesn't like you."

"I've noticed," Olivia said, raising an eyebrow. She put the last of the crumpled wrapping paper into the trash bag in her hands.

"Goodnight, Dad," Lizzie said, hugging him. She hugged Olivia, too, then bounded into the room she shared with her sisters. Maureen and Kathleen did the same thing, thanking Olivia again for the gifts. Finally, Dickie made his way over to them.

The boy hugged Olivia and gave her a kiss on the cheek, but looked up at his father with worried eyes. "Dad," Dickie said, biting his lip. "Can I talk to you?"

Elliot looked at Olivia, smirking, and then nodded at his son. He wrapped an arm around him and walked with him into the kitchen, knowing what Dickie was going to say.

In their absence, Olivia looked up at the star on the top of the tree. She chuckled at the fact that she was really celebrating Christmas, with Elliot of all people. She looked around at the ornaments, and she tilted her head when she spotted something that didn't quite belong. She gingerly fingered the metal edges of the decoration, and she jumped when Elliot spoke from behind her.

"You haven't been looking for that, have you?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I always thought Cragen took it," she said, turning to him.

"No, you would have been able to keep it," he said. He sighed and said, "I wanted it, though. Baby, you've been a part of my Christmas traditions for years."

She looked back at the tree, saw her old badge, the silver one she'd taken off in exchange for her gold detective's shield. She put it on her desk her first day on the job, fifteen minutes after meeting Elliot, but when she went back to get it at the end of the night, it was gone. She smiled at the thought of him making it into an ornament, and she looked at him. "Sweet," she said with a small shrug.

He brushed her hair back and said, "Our little elves knew what they were doing."

She raised her eyebrow as she felt him nudge her into his bedroom. "What?"

"Dickie just told me," he told her. "They planned it. The kiss, the mistletoe, they even made sure our seats were where they were so we'd be close enough to the end. He thought i was gonna be mad at him, Liv. They…"

She laughed, interrupting. "Wow," she said. She blinked, realizing she'd followed him into the bedroom, then she cleared her throat. "So, uh, I should probably…"

"Stay," he interrupted. He turned her body toward him, looked into her eyes, and said, "You didn't open your present from me yet." He nudged her nose gently with his, let go of her arm and pulled open the drawer beside him. He pulled out a beautifully wrapped box with an elegant silver ribbon on top, and he held it out to her. "I didn't know you were coming here tonight," he shrugged. "I had it put away, I was gonna bring it to you tomorrow, so…"

"El," she cut him off, "You don't have to explain." She took the box from him and sat on the edge of his bed. "Yours is on my couch," she laughed. "I wasn't expecting this either."

He sat next to her and said, "I know we said no more than thirty bucks, but this year…this was just…I had to…" he stopped trying. "Just open it," he whispered, resting his hand on her knee. He watched her face as she opened it.

She pulled the ribbon, and she peeled the tape and paper away carefully as she did every year. The small box was light, but she knew what was inside. "I'm gonna shoot you," she threatened, looking at him.

"Please, don't." He smirked and nodded, telling her to open the box.

She flipped up the lid and her heart melted. "Oh, El, it's…it's beautiful."

He turned the box toward him and pulled the chain, letting the heart shaped pendant dangle for a moment before unclasping it. "Come here," he said, moving her hair to the side. He slipped the necklace on and hooked it, then tugged on the heart, opening the locket. "You can change the pictures if you…"

"Why would I change them?" she asked, looking down at the two photos. One of just her and him, and one of the four kids, smiling.

"You might not want them in there. It was…I heard you talking to Fin. You said you wanted to know what it was like to be a part of a real family, just once," he shrugged. "Tomorrow, I…I was gonna give this to you and tell you that you are. That we are your family. And then I was drag you back here and force you to join in all of our little reindeer games and have dinner. But thanks to my kids…"

She pressed a finger to his lips. "You don't have to force me," she whispered. "And you are…you really are something, Stabler."

He smirked, then pressed a small kiss to the pad of her finger. He grabbed her wrist gently and pulled her hand away from his mouth, then moved toward her slowly. He kissed her, and he moaned when her arms wrapped around his neck. He skimmed his hands up her back, leaning forward, forcing her to flatten out on the bed. He moved slowly, giving her plenty of time to stop him or protest, or move.

She played with the hem of his shirt as they kissed, and she was surprised when he pulled away from her, looked down, and pulled off the cotton altogether.

He immediately returned to her lips, kissing slowly as he unbuttoned her dark blue shirt. He felt her press up against him as he shirked the material off of her shoulders and arms, and he moaned when he realized what he would see when he opened his eyes.

She held her breath as he pulled away again, looking at her in her bra, the most vulnerable she'd ever been in front of him. She bit her bottom lip lightly, but he reached out a hand and brushed his thumb over her lips. She sat up a bit and reached for the button on his jeans and he held her eyes with his as his own hands moved to attack the denim of hers.

Sliding out of their pants, kneeling before each other clad only in this barriers of cotton and silk, they took a moment to breathe. Elliot looked out the window as his head dropped to hers. "It's snowing," he said.

"White Christmas," she said, running her fingers up and down his back.

He looked at her. "It's Christmas," he said, noting that it was passed midnight. "And you're actually happy."

She kissed him, wrapped her arms around his waist, and pulled him down to finish what they started. "So are you," she said to him, tugging at the blue briefs he was wearing.

He maneuvered out of them, then worked her bra off, kissing her shoulders and the curves of her breasts as he did. "Beyond happy," he whispered. "Best present ever," he murmured, sliding down the silk of her panties. He tossed them over his shoulder and he looked up at her. "Were you a good girl this year?"

She smirked. "Up until now," she teased, cupping his face and pulling him back up her body. She looked into his eyes, seeing wonder and excitement, love and passion, everything one would expect to see from a kid who'd just opened a present on Christmas.

"I love you," he said to her, seriousness in his voice and a soft smile on his face.

Her breath hitched. That was fast. Too fast. She closed her eyes and tried to find a reason to not say it, but she couldn't. "I love you, too," she said, almost too softly.

He kissed her, starting their Christmas romp and silently thanking the two sleeping twin elves for causing a little mischief, and making the holiday truly special.

**A/N: Awwww. The next one-shot is going to be a bit more…explicit? But still full O' holiday cheer! Review here or on Twitter: TMG212 **


	3. Give it Back OneShot

**A/N: Sometimes it takes a while to grip the Christmas Spirit.**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and related characters/ideas belong to Dick Wolf. Original plot and dialogue belong to TStabler©**

Olivia had been watching her partner all day. All week. All month, if she was being completely honest. Usually, by now, he would have been wearing red and green ties, humming cheesy songs, and trying to get everyone to forego their coffee for non-alcoholic eggnog. This year, though, he hadn't even acknowledged the fact that it was December.

She watched as he let out a long sigh, hovered over his computer, and she noted that it was almost six and he hadn't put on his stupid Santa hat and handed everyone in the room candy canes yet. "All right," she said, "Did the Grinch crawl up your ass this year or something?"

He looked up at her, his brow furrowed. He tilted his head and folded his hands. "This," he said, "Coming from the woman who tried to choke the Macy's elves last year? The Queen of Anti-Christmas is telling me I lack holiday spirit?"

"I've always ignored Christmas," she countered. "You've always made it impossible to ignore, and quite frankly, it's pissing me the hell off that you've blown it off this year."

"Well, Liv, maybe Christmas just doesn't mean the same thing for me this year as it has in the past," he said, getting back to his work. "If you can ignore it, why can't I?"

She blinked. She realized that this was the first Christmas he'd spend without his kids, without his family. Since his divorce six months ago, he hadn't seen them, and it was killing him. He was probably hurting, very deeply, and she expected him to be holly and jolly and whatever the hell else. "Sorry," she said softly. She glanced at the clock, sighed, and got up out of her seat.

"Where are you going?" he asked, turning around as his eyes followed her to the small closet by the lockers. He watched her grab her coat and pull on her gloves, then open her locker to grab her keys. "Where the hell are you going?" he asked, almost panicking.

"It's Christmas Eve, Elliot," she sighed. "It's Six O'Clock on Christmas Eve, and I am going to Starbucks, where the idiot behind the counter in a stupid Santa hat will give me eggnog, and a candy cane, and convince me that this holiday means more than just lousy decorations and expensive presents." She slammed her locker shut and turned. "You're supposed to that! Not some fucking barista!"

"What are you talking about?" he asked, shaking his head. "You hate Christmas. How many times have you yelled at me for…"

"Like I'm really going to admit that you being all merry and happy made me hate my life a little less," she scoffed. She sighed, then. "Look, I know you're spending Christmas without your family, and I'm so sorry about that, but I spend it alone every year." She looked up at him and said, "You always made me feel like…forget it."

"I'm not gonna forget it," he said, gazing into her eyes. "I always what?"

"Seeing how happy you were, how excited you were about it," she smiled, remembering, "The way you forced it all on me, El. It made me feel like I was part of it. Like I had a little Christmas. At least, until Six O'Clock on Christmas Eve, when Cragen sends us home." She saw a new look in his eyes and she thought she said something wrong. "And Kathy's…"

He shook his head and cut her off. "I'll take you," he said. He grabbed his own coat, shouted a bitter-sounding, "Merry Christmas," to the rest of the unit, and pulled her out of the squad room.

She sighed. She had something to tell him.

* * *

Her eggnog latte had gone cold and Elliot still hadn't said anything. She was trying to carry on the conversation by herself, getting only one word answers from him, and couldn't tell him what she needed to the way he was acting. She sighed and sipped her latte, shaking her head.

Since she's said what she said at the precinct, all he could do was think about the life he missed out on by trying to save the life he was living. He had to tell her the truth. "I'm sorry," he finally said, shaking his head. "I haven't heard a single thing you've said."

"I noticed," she said, smirking.

"Not intentionally," he told her, sipping his coffee. "My mind has just been somewhere else since she left, Liv. Not that I want her back, I don't. I've been thinking…wondering what things would be like if…I didn't do any of things I normally do because you always got annoyed. I was trying to make you happier, I didn't know you really…"

"You just took a U-turn," she interjected. "You were going somewhere else, then you went back to why you became Ebenezer Scrooge. What things would be like if what?"

He was staring at her lips. They looked so soft despite the bitter cold and wind they'd been walking through. They looked so delicate compared to his rough, chapped mouth. They looked so kissable. "If I kissed you," he said without thinking.

She stared at him, silent, waiting for him to laugh. Waiting for him to say he was only kidding. "You sure they didn't put any rum in that eggnog latte?" she asked, her face frozen in seriousness.

He chuckled. "I know, you think I'm completely crazy, but…" he looked at her again, her beauty shutting him up. He grabbed her hand and pulled her up, dragging her out of the coffee shop.

They were halfway down the block when she spoke up. "What the hell just happened?" she asked. "I didn't think you were crazy before, but I'm starting to wonder."

He headed, her hand still in his, toward her apartment, and he said, "I have something I need to do, and I didn't wanna do it in the middle of Starbucks." He turned to her, stopping them, and he let go of her hand to grab both of her arms. He looked into her eyes, then down at her reddened nose, then her luscious lips again. He watched as the visible breath escaped her partly opened mouth in white bursts, telling him she was both cold and panting. He took a step forward.

She took a step back. "What are you…"

He was faster, catching her lips before they could completely form the last word. He kissed her, and it was everything he hoped it would be. Warm, soft, tender, with the right amount of heat and more emotion he thought he would ever feel.

Shaking arms wrapped around his, with tense hands grabbing at his elbows. She was shocked, but not unhappy, and she let him kiss her. She didn't even feel the frosty snowflakes falling around her, as they melted instantly touching her suddenly hot skin.

He pulled away slowly, licking his lips, and easily opened his eyes. He said nothing. There was nothing to say. He simply slid backward and grabbed her hands, then turned and walked quickly toward her building.

Getting there was easy, running up the stairs was easier, opening the door was simple, and throwing off their jackets was a piece of cake. The hard part was figuring out what to do next.

She cleared her throat softly, looked at him, brought her hand up to his cheek, and said, "Well? I guess now you know."

"Know what?" he asked, cupping his hand over hers, loving her touch.

"What things would be like if you kissed me," she said.

He chuckled, nodded, and looked to his left shyly. "Hey, you put up a tree," he said, sounding surprised. "You never put up a tree!"

"I did it for you," she shrugged. "I know you were planning to come over here tomorrow and just…" She decided that her secret was best kept. He'd just have to be surprised. "Well, I thought you'd want a tree, that's all."

"Liv, that's…" he shook his head, looked back at her, and said, "You're amazing."

"Kathy's an idiot, El," she sighed. "I just wanted you to know that…you're not alone," she told him. "You think you are, but you've still got me. I know I'm not enough, but…"

He pressed his finger to her lips. "You're more than enough," he whispered. "You're everything," he told her as he made another move. He lifted his cold hands to her face, pulled her toward him, and kissed her.

She wasn't sure what happened. If she reignited his spirit or had twisted her lips in just the right way, she wasn't sure, but somehow this was now more than just a kiss. His lips worked over hers, his tongue delved into her mouth with such force and intensity that she was pushed back into the wall.

He moaned, maybe it was an apology, as they turned, rotating so that he was now back to plaster against her wall, struggling to kick off his shoes.

She wasn't thinking anymore, she was only starting to need him desperately, and she helped him as his hands moved to her sweater.

They pulled apart briefly to pry off her wool sheath, and his lips were back on hers as he pushed her toward her bedroom, stumbling blindly as he wiggled out of his pants along the way.

She fell back onto the bed and he leaned over her, still on his feet. She gasped as he sank his teeth into a red-silk covered nipple, twisting and pulling as he yanked off her own black slacks. Her head fell back and she moaned as his actions hit every nerve in her body.

"Red," he noted, teasing the waistband of her matching panties. "Festive," he chuckled, grinding his teeth over her nipple again. He slid down the silk gripped between his fingers and felt her hands flying to his chest and struggling with the buttons on his shirt.

She pulled off his tie, and pushed him away from her for a moment to discard the cotton shirt he wore. Kneeling over her in nothing but boxers as he stared down at her, in nothing but a bra, forced her to face what was happening.

He nodded quickly, answering the question dancing in her eyes, and his lips crashed into hers. He unclasped her bra and let it fall away as she wiggled out of it, and he shoved his flannel shorts over his hips and kicked them to the floor. He refused to stop kissing her as he fumbled his way over her and worked the quilt out from under her.

She chuckled as he grunted and pulled on the comforter, and she moved to help him get it over their bodies. When it fell around them, and he settled on top of her, his kiss slowed. His hands slid down her body trailing toward her aching, throbbing, needy center, and chills shot up her spine as goosebumps rose.

"Cold?" he asked against her lips.

"No," her response came, a whisper.

He felt her tremble as his fingers barely grazed over her slit. He knew then that it was nerves. He brushed her nose with his and slid a finger through her folds, tasting her wetness. He moaned, at the same time she groaned with a shiver and an arch of her back.

She held onto him, gripping the flesh and muscle on his back as he pushed his finger into her, and her world seemed somehow complete. He twisted his finger and she bucked her hips into his hand. She felt him chuckle against her lips and realized he was arrogant, even in bed.

He pushed another finger into her, easing her open, and he thumbed over her clit a few times, working her up before he took the next step. He nibbled and gnawed at her lips, loving how right he was about them being soft. He loved the way she tasted, like eggnog and coffee and cinnamon, so spicy. He loved her.

She dropped her head back, pulling her lips away from his when he moved his hand, and she felt him grab her legs. Her eyes darted toward him, and his were boring directly into hers.

He wound her legs around his waist and ran his hands, as softly as he could, up and down her thighs. He dropped his forehead to hers and whispered, "Stop me."

She closed her eyes, and returned a whisper of her own. "No."

He sighed, it sounded relieved, and he pressed his lips to hers again. He pulled back the tiniest bit. He looked at her, holding her gaze, as he pushed, moving into her for the first time. He let out a sort of sound between a gasping whisper and a moan, with the words "Oh, God, Liv," attached to it.

She dug her nails into his back as he stretched her, her eyes watered but she didn't dare blink, and she bit her lip. Her moans were wordless, soft, meant for only him.

He felt the pressure in his body build, and he felt their pelvic bones meet, and he choked a bit, trying to breathe. He stilled for a moment, knowing she needed to adjust and needed to do so himself, and he kissed her as he began to pull out, moving in a rhythm that built and increased in pace rapidly.

"Oh, God, Elliot," she cried, twice, when he moved harder, making every thrust end with a skin-to-skin collision, ensuring this was the most complete and close experience of their lives.

He grunted and groaned, loud and soft, between kissed. He was giving her new, sweet, nicknames. He'd called her, "Liv," "Livvie," "Livia," "Baby," "Honey," and "My girl."

She moaned with him, moved with him, fell with him. He covered her mouth with his, catching the loud, feral cry of her release with his lips. She arched her back and her nails broke the skin of his back beneath them as she came, and she clenched so tightly around him she didn't think he could move.

He proved her wrong, continuing his thrusts until he shot hotly into her with a loud grunting cry of her name. He stopped moving when he was sure she was done cumming, when he was sure he was done cumming, and making her cum.

She struggled to open her eyes, not wanting to find out it was all a dream, but when she unclenched her lids, he was there, gazing down at her with a grin. She was surprised to see him there, it felt so surreal. "El," she whispered.

"Hey, baby," he said, struggling to catch his breath. He kissed her sweetly and rolled over, pulling him on top of her and wrapping the covers around them.

Her phone rang, then, and before she could move, he shook his head. "Don't," he said. He kissed her, telling her to let the machine get it, they could hear it from the bedroom with the door opened.

They heard a loud beep, and then a voice Elliot never wanted to hear again. "Olivia, it's Kathy. Listen. I know you told me not to bring them until tomorrow night, but my meeting got pushed up. I have to drop them off tonight. Thank you for doing this. Bye."

He looked at Olivia after he heard the click. "You…dropping them off…my kids?"

"It was supposed to be a surprise," she said, biting her lips again. "I wanted to give you your Christmas back, so…"

He cut her off with a kiss. "You already have," he said. "Don't you get it, yet? You are my Christmas." He brushed her still-damp hair back and said, "I love you."

She smiled at him. "I love you, too," she whispered, unsure of if it was safe to say it or not. "But I don't think your kids need to see us naked."

He laughed, kissed her, and said, "We have time." He kissed her again and rolled them back over.

"El?" she said, shifting beneath him.

"What, baby?" he asked, kissing her.

She held his gaze for a moment and kissed him softly. "Merry Christmas," she said.

He nuzzled her nose as he pushed his way into her again. He dropped his head against hers and said softly, "Merry Christmas."

**A/N: In the next one-shot, a Christmas miracle that no one expected changes everything. Review here or on Twitter: TMG212 **


	4. A Time For Miracles Part One

**A/N: Christmas is a time for miracles, and the revelation of secrets. But do miracles come in time?  
**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns the characters. That's pretty much it. Everything else written before you is pure TStabler©**

Elliot stared at his partner from across their desks. He grinned and his eyes softened as he studied the sparkle in her eyes, the new curves of her body. Pregnancy looked good on her.

Munch's voice interrupted his thoughts as it called out, "So when are you due, Benson?"

"January," she said, without looking up. "Two weeks. We're so excited," she laughed. She looked around and sighed. "Ya know, I thought I would have missed it here more than I did, staying home until this little one arrives. But honestly, I felt completely useless around here."

Fin chuckled. "You're not useless, Baby-Girl," he said.

"I was a glorified secretary for the last three months!" she countered. "I parked myself behind this desk and did nothing but paperwork and answer the phone."

"You handled the victims," Elliot told her, clicking his pen. The look in his eyes was unreadable. "Better than anyone."

She shrugged, looking back at him. "Still, the best parts of the job I..."

"Hey," Munch interrupted. "Ya know, that kid is gonna be here in less than fourteen days and you haven't told us who it's father is," he said.

"Or if it's a boy or a girl," Fin said.

"Or if you're marrying the guy," Elliot said, his eyes glazing over.

She rolled her eyes. "None of you know him, we don't even know if it's a boy or a girl because we wanna be surprised, and if he asks..." she smirked and shrugged, returning Elliot's hazy expression. "I would, yeah," she said.

"Well, what are you doing for Christmas?" Fin asked. "You puttin' up a tree this year?"

She chuckled. "The tree has been up since Thanksgiving," she said. "And tonight, it's just the two of us. Well, three," she laughed rubbing her belly. "We're watching bad holiday movies, finishing up some last minute wrapping, and picking out names. Tomorrow, his whole family is coming for a dinner I'm attempting to cook myself, we're going to see the tree at Radio City, opening gifts, standard Christmas things."

Munch shook his head. "I don't like what this guy has done to you," he said. "I hate being the only Grinch in a village of holly, jolly, Whos."

"I am not a Who," Olivia said, sounding offended.

"You're Cindy-Lou, and you know it," Munch said, pointing a finger at her.

Fin laughed and pulled something out of his drawer. "I was only askin' because I found this in a shop yesterday," he said, handing her a box. "I...I just had to get it for you. When Stabler told us you were comin' in today, I...well, here."

She looked at him with a confused smile, and took the box. She opened it and gasped. "Oh, Fin!" she said, lifting the delicate porcelain ornament into the air. "It's...God, it's beautiful," she said, suppressing the tears as the white carved woman, holding her rotund belly, spun around slowly. "Mother's First Christmas," she whispered, reading the engraving. "Thank you."

Elliot smiled at her, then looked at Fin. "That was nice, man," he said with a nod.

Fin scoffed. "Didn't see you gettin' anything for her," he laughed. "Someone had to step up."

Olivia smirked at Elliot and they shared a moment. "I got her a few things," he said with a soft smile. He was about to ask her something, say something else, when the lights flickered. "Uh-oh," he said, looking up and around. "You don't think it's snowing hard enough to..."

"Probably nothin'," Fin said, cutting him off.

Munch leaned back in his chair. "Or it's probably an alien invasion," he said, as the lights flickered again.

Elliot got up and looked at Olivia. "Get up," he said, holding out his hand. "If we're losing power, I wanna get you out of here. I am not letting you stay..."

He hadn't acted fasted enough, it seemed, as the unmistakable hum of equipment shutting down was heard and the lights darkened. Olivia squeezed his hands, leaning into him in the dark. "Wonderful," she hissed, shifting in discomfort.

"It's all right, Liv," he said to her. "I have a flashlight somewhere. I'll get it, and then we can..."

"El," she said, stopping him. She squeezed his hand, there was something severe in her voice.

He paused, and through the black of the room he could see her eyes. They were wide, panicked. "Oh, no," he said. "Baby, not here. Not now."

She squeezed his hand again and she bent over further, holding onto him as a sharp pain ripped through her. "Oh, God," she moaned, distraught. "This isn't happening!"

Munch rose, tripping over the box of files beside him. "What's wrong?" he asked in a rush. "What happened?"

"I think...she's having contractions," Elliot said. "I'm not letting go of her. Fin, can you find a flashlight? There's one in my drawer, somewhere. We gotta try to get her out of here."

Fin shot out of his seat, scrambling to Elliot's desk. "The elevator's not gonna work if the power's out, man," he told them.

"Damn it," Elliot spat. "Can you make it down the stairs?" he asked her, placing a soft kiss to her temple, knowing no one could see them.

She was breathing harder now, and she nodded. "Think so," she panted. Then she cried out in pain again.

"She can't," Cragen said, coming out of his office with a flashlight of his own. "They collapsed on the third floor this morning, remember?" he said. "She'd never be able to climb over the damaged steps."

"I'll carry her, God damn it!" Elliot said. "My child is not being born in the squad room during a blackout on fucking Christmas Eve!"

There was silence as Olivia let out another groan, but this one didn't sound painful. She sounded disappointed, and she gripped onto Elliot harder.

He turned into her, kissed her forehead, and whispered, "I'm gonna get you out of here, baby."

"Your child?" Fin asked. He had stopped looking for the flashlight.

Munch folded his arms. "You knocked her up," he said bluntly. "Saw that coming a mile away."

"Shut up, Munch!" Elliot yelled, turning to him. "You have no idea what's going on with us, so just..."

"El, please," Olivia's voice interrupted pitifully. "Not now. Don't do this now."

He pulled her close and rubbed her back. "Lean into me, honey. I got you." He looked over at Cragen and said, "We can't go down, so we'll have to go up."

"You won't let her have the baby here, but you'll let her have it on the roof?" Fin jibed.

"Call a helicopter, dipshit. We can have her airlifted out of here," Elliot said, starting to move with Olivia. He grabbed her coat and helped her get it on, then grabbed his own before asking, "When did this start?"

She shrugged. "Oh, God, El," she moaned, curling into him as another contraction hit. "I can't..."

"Shhh," he whispered to her, rubbing circles on her back. "Come on, baby." He wrapped his arms around her and helped her walk to the door as he heard Fin on his cell phone, trying to get through to the emergency room at Mercy. They pushed through the hall filled with worried cops and found their way to the exit.

"I ain't gettin' through, man," he said as they pushed the door to the stairwell open. "The storms got everyone callin' people, circuits are..."

"Keep trying, damn it!" Elliot yelled. "Please," he added, trying to calm down. He supported Olivia's full weight as he guided her up the stairs. "Cap, are there any..."

"I'm trying to get through to the One-Eight," Cragen interrupted. "They have a chopper. I just...I can't...shit!" He slapped his phone as he got another unavailable message.

Olivia stopped moving and collapsed into Elliot's arms. "Let's just go back down..."

"Baby," Elliot said, stopping her. "I promised you I wouldn't let you down, ever. You are having our baby in a safe, warm, clean hospital. Not a police station that no one's cleaned since Munch was your age."

"Hey!" Munch spat.

Elliot chuckled, seeing Olivia smile and laugh, and he continued his journey up to the roof. He prayed as he held her in his arms. It was Christmas Eve, he thought. God wasn't going to let anything happen. He would make sure Olivia made it to the hospital, and He would give them a happy, healthy Christmas baby. Wouldn't He?

He was praying for a miracle, and as his hand reached for the door handle, he heard Cragen's voice bark an order into the phone, having finally gotten through to someone. He smirked. He pushed the door open and looked up at the dark-purple, snow filled sky. "Thank you," he whispered, wrapping Olivia tightly in his arms.

Cragen shouted, "They'll be here in ten minutes."

Elliot kissed Olivia, relieved. But she pulled away from him and groaned in pain, as she backed up a bit and held her belly. "Shit," he said, watching and holding her as she had another body-ripping contraction.

"Ten minutes might not be soon enough," she told him through gritted teeth.

"It's okay, baby," he told her, peppering her with sweet kisses as he moved them both to the ground. "I got you. We're gonna be okay." He had her lean back into him, wrapped his arms around her as she controlled her breathing, and did the only thing he could do. Wait.

**A/N: Part Two, tomorrow. Do they make it to a hospital? And Christmas becomes super-special, in many unexpected ways. Review here or on Twitter: TMG212**


	5. A Time For Miracles Part Two

**A/N: Christmas is a time for miracles, and the revelation of secrets. But do miracles come in time?**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns the characters. That's pretty much it. Everything else written before you is pure TStabler©**

Clutching his hand, feeling nothing but the pain, Olivia leaned back into Elliot. It had already been fifteen minutes. They were freezing, and her contractions were getting closer, and closer.

From experience, he knew that her water was going to break any minute. "Baby," he whispered, "I am so sorry about this. If I have to, I'll deliver the baby right here. I'm so sorry."

She tilted her head up, and very weakly, she said, "Isn't your fault." Her eyes closed in exhaustion just as they heard the unmistakable sound of helicopter blades whirring in the sky, coming closer.

He laughed. He laughed and cried at the same time. "They're here, Liv," he told her, giving her a gentle nudge. He Saw her head pop up and he chuckled. That was his Liv.

She held onto him as he led her to the landing copter, and he supported her fully as they climbed in. He looked back at his captain, and his two very cold, confused friends, as the chopper made is it's ascension.

"How long?" Olivia snapped at the pilot, squeezing Elliot's hand. Another contraction had gripped her.

"No time at all, Detective," the pilot said with a nod. He shifted a gear and they were jerked back into their seats.

Elliot bent his head and kissed her, and he whispered, "Thank you," to someone he was sure was listening.

* * *

"Where are they?" Cragen asked, three hours later, as he finally made it to the hospital. The power came back on and he bolted from the station, Munch and Fin tailing him, and they all ran into the waiting room together, meeting Elliot's other kids and Kathy.

"Probably in the delivery room," Kathy said, biting her lip with folded arms.

"Calm down, Mom," Maureen said, chuckling.

Kathy shook her head. "Two weeks," she mumbled. "Do you know what could...I hope they were wrong. About the date, I mean. I hope the baby's..."

"Hold on a minute," Munch said, cutting her off. "You're okay with this?"

Kathy laughed. "When they told me they weren't telling anybody, I didn't think they meant..."

Dickie interrupted his mother. "Dad's been seeing Liv since Mom left him," he said bluntly. He was fiddling with a string of Christmas lights.

Kathleen yawned and added, "And with the way they are, I'm surprised they don't already have a kid at home." She laughed as she and Lizzie twisted together red and white pipe cleaners, making candy canes.

Maureen, pushing hooks through glass ornaments, said, "None of you knew? I mean, really?"

Cragen, shocked, shook his head. "This could have cost them...I know why they didn't..." he stopped talking, blinking back guilty tears, and he titled his head. "What are you all doing?"

"It's Christmas," Dickie said, untangling the last light. "No matter where we are, it's Christmas."

"And our little brother or sister's birthday," Lizzie added. "As soon as they say we can go in..."

"We're going in with this," Kathy said, pointing to a small tree in the corner beside her. "Elliot loves Christmas," she said with a sad sigh.

"Oh, here we go again," Dickie said, rolling his eyes as he got out of his seat to string the lights around the tree. "Mom, you left him, remember? You left him, and us, and there's nothing you can do to get him back now, so stop regretting it."

Kathy nodded and sighed again. "I know. He's happy."

"We all are," Maureen said, hooking the ornaments on the tree. "Admit, Mom. Seeing him with Liv, even you have to be happy for them. It's been two years, and...

"Two years?" Fin coughed. "Shit! No wonder every time I asked her out she looked at me like I was nuts."

"You asked her out?" Munch questioned.

"And it took everything I had not to kill him," Elliot's voice broke in. The kids immediately stood in front of the tree, hoping he didn't notice.

Everyone looked at him, waiting. He chuckled, sniffling as his tears fell slowly. "Boy," he sniffled. "A beautiful little boy." He twisted the surgical mask around his neck, and said, "And he and Mommy are doing just fine." He looked up at the kids, their faces beaming, and said, "Kathy, take them in, huh? I gotta talk to Don."

Kathy nodded. On her way passed him, she kissed his cheek. "Congratulations," she said with a small smile. She helped distract him so the kids could move the decorations without him seeing, but there was more to that kiss for her. It was really, finally, goodbye.

"Thanks," he said, smiling back at her. He looked back at Cragen and clapped his hands together. "Well, he's a Stabler. He knows how to make an entrance," he joked.

Cragen chuckled, not allowing himself to cry, and asked, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"We knew what you'd say," Elliot shrugged. "What you'd do," he added. "We weren't ready to lose each other. Not...not after we'd just found each other. If that makes sense."

"And you're ready now?" Cragen asked.

"Not really, no, but we knew this was gonna come out sooner or later, especially when she brought the baby into the station for the first time," he said. "There's no way you would look at him, look at me looking at him, and not know he was mine."

"Congratulations, man," Fin interrupted.

Elliot nodded his thanks, then looked back at Cragen. "What do we do now?"

Cragen sighed. "We'll worry about that when Olivia's ready to come back to work. Now, I want meet this kid."

Elliot laughed, and led them into Olivia's room. He gasped when he opened the door. "What happened in here?" he asked, walking over to a very tired Olivia and an equally exhausted baby, bundled in blue.

"We're celebrating, Daddy," Lizzie said. "Christmas and our brother's birthday!"

He looked down at Olivia and wiped away her tears, and he kissed her before dropping a kiss to the baby's head. "Our little miracle," he whispered.

"What's his name?" Kathy asked, her heart melting at the picture before her. Olivia and the baby in Elliot's arms, bathed in the soft glow of Christmas lights as the snow fell hard through the window behind them. It was perfect.

Elliot sniffled again, kissed Olivia once more, and said, "Gavin Nicholas Stabler, born at midnight, on Christmas." He kissed the boy again, and said, "It took him forever to get here."

"How is he?" Kathy asked, worried. "And Olivia, how are you?"

Olivia yawned and leaned into Elliot. "We're both perfect," she said, feeling his arms envelope her. "It really has been the perfect Christmas."

Elliot kissed the crown of her head, then whispered into her ear, "I promised I would make this special. I promised I wouldn't let anything happen to you. I know you're not gonna believe this, but when we almost..."

She turned her head a bit and kissed him. "I'm not religious El, but I know a miracle when I'm given one. You don't have to convince me."

He smiled at her, kissed her again, then turned his head toward the beautiful little tree lighting up their room. "Definitely the best Christmas ever," he said, linking his hand with hers, passing his thumb over the diamond ring on her finger.

**A/N: The next ONE-SHOT will be a Christmas wedding, the brings another couple together. But who's getting married? Review here, or on Twitter: TMG212**


	6. Reception OneShot

**A/N: A Christmas wedding brings two people closer for the holiday. But how close were they to begin with? And…who's getting married?**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and related characters/ideas belong to Dick Wolf. Original plot and dialogue belong to TStabler©**

Olivia stood by the pulpit of the church, as two of her close friends and colleagues were married. She was wearing a long red dress, holding a white bouquet of roses, and she managed to keep herself from crying. Mostly because she was not paying attention to the ceremony, but to a man on the other side of the pulpit, just behind the groom.

That man, wearing a black tux with red vest, with a white rose in his lapel, was looking right back at her. "Merry Christmas," he mouthed. His first attempt at communication since the annual Christmas part a few nights prior.

She gave him a small smile and a gentle nod. Her attention was turned to the center, though, when Melinda and Fin were told they were allowed to kiss. She smiled wider and tilted her head as their lips met, and she looked back at the man, still staring at her, remembering what it felt like to kiss him. She blinked the thought away.

There was no doubt he, too, was recalling that night. They'd both had more than their fair share to drink; they couldn't drive so they shared a taxi. They hit a bump in the road and were slammed into each other, and they laughed. And then they kissed. Then hands ran up and down bodies, lips attached and suckled every inch of visible skin, the cabbie wouldn't let them pay him.

They stumbled into her apartment, where the party continued with more champagne and less clothing, and when she woke up in the morning with a headache and a foggy memory, he was gone. He'd left a note, though. Simple. Three words.

She didn't write, or say them, in return, and the talking between them stopped, but for their professional banter.

That was five days ago.

The wedding party followed Fin and Melinda out of the church, forcing Olivia to be, once again, at her one-time-lover's side. He linked arms with hers, taking her by surprise, and said, simply, "Hi."

She looked at him, speechless, as he led her down the church steps. He helped her put her red peacoat on, and he brushed the hair out of her eyes.

He sighed and she looked away, nervous and unsure, as he grabbed her arm again. They crunched through the snow and found a quiet spot behind the crowd, and she blinked up at him, finally speaking. "El, I'm sorry. I…"

"Look," he cut her off, "I don't regret it, Liv. I never will, I just…I don't want that to be what we have to live with, ya know? That cannot be our first, and only, memory of being together. It was wrong of me to just leave, I know that, but I know you. You would have panicked, hated me, kicked me out…I didn't want to go through that."

She furrowed her brow. How the hell could he possibly think that's what she would have done? She opened her mouth to speak, but a bundle of red roses hit her right in the head, and she caught them in her hands before they dropped to the ground.

They heard laughter from the onlookers, and Casey's voice yelling, "Not fair, Benson! You weren't even trying," and then she was looking at him again. She sighed. "You don't know that," she said meekly.

That's exactly what she would have done, she knew it, and he knew it. He took her hands in his, leading her to the winter white limo that brought them to the church. "I told you how I feel."

"Technically, you told my pillow," she quipped. "Your pillow," she said, shutting her eyes.

He whispered, leaning closer to her, "If you can't say it…if that night was just one more…"

"It wasn't!" she spat. "God, El, that night was so much more than that! I wan't…"

Again, an interruption. Munch, in a suit identical to Elliot's, proudly declared, "Only two single people left in the unit!" He pointed awkwardly at Olivia and Elliot, doing some sort of taunting dance, and he laughed. "What are you two gonna do about that?"

Olivia glanced at Elliot, shook her head, then wrapped her red coat tighter around her as she got into the limo.

"What'd I say?" Munch asked, stunned.

Elliot shook his head. "You just have very bad timing, buddy." He climbed into the limo, next to Olivia, and very discreetly wrapped his hand around hers. She squeezed it back, and their fingers tangled between them on the leather seat.

She looked at him, her eyes swirling with a tumult of emotions, and she waited for him to say something. His eyes were saying everything she needed to hear, but he spoke anyway.

"I wasn't paying much attention to anything in there but you," he whispered to her. "But I heard the priest," he said. "When he said you had to hold onto love when you find it because it's a once in a lifetime…"

"I heard that, too," she said, stopping him. Their eyes locked for a few great moments, as the limo motored them to the reception, but before it became too obvious, she looked away and he sighed.

"Whatever you want, Liv," he whispered, letting go of her hand. He was shocked, a little relieved, and a little frightened, when she grabbed his hand back quickly, tighter than before. He looked back at her and she was staring into his eyes.

She tried to tell him as the limo stopped. "El, I want…" she shook her head and rolled her eyes as Munch and Alex cheered when the driver opened their doors.

"Let's go guys!" Casey yelled, pulling Olivia out quickly, ripping her away from Elliot. They were immediately rushed through the doors of the building and placed into spots in front of an elaborately decorated tree for the wedding party photos.

An hour of fake smiles and awkward poses later, they made their way into the banquet hall, where they were each called to the center of the room by name, and Melinda and Fin were introduced, for the first time, as husband and wife.

The wedding party had to stand, for what seemed like an eternity, as Melinda and Fin shared their first dance. When the DJ asked the mother of the groom and father of the bride to step out, the group dispersed, and Elliot made a bee-line toward Olivia, trying to push through people who had suddenly gathered to watch the dancing. "Liv!" he shouted over the music.

Her head, above several other people, snapped toward his. Their eyes met, he shoved and squeezed his way over to her, and he sighed roughly when he reached her. "Hi," he said, again at a loss, unsure of what else he could say that he hadn't yet.

"Hi," she returned. She looked at him and bit her lip, just as the DJ called the rest of the wedding party out to join Melinda and Fin on the floor.

"Jesus, with the dancing already," Elliot hissed. All he wanted was to talk to her. He looked at the DJ, then at Melinda and Fin who looked incredibly happy, and then he turned back toward Olivia. "Dance with me?"

She gave him a tiny smile and nodded, letting him pull her toward the floor. He dragged her to the very middle, just to the left of the newlyweds, and he held her left hand in his as his other arm snaked around her waist.

"What were you gonna say?" he asked. "In the limo, you said you want…what do you want?"

She shook her head and absently leaned closer to him. She felt his arm pull her closer, tighter, and she said, "I was going to say that I want this. I want…you. I want you, okay? But we have to be careful. We have to think about this, if we screw up…"

"We already fucked up and changed everything," he told her, his eyes still boring deep into hers. "You think what we did, if we just leave it like that, isn't gonna kill us?" He sighed, closing his eyes. "It's already killing me," he said.

She let him turn her, swaying in his arms, as the song changed seamlessly from the one Melinda and Fin had chosen to a slow version of "I'll Be Home for Christmas." She was silent, watching him watch her, and she had to admit that it felt wonderful being with him. "Me, too," she told him.

"You look so beautiful right now," he told her, smiling. They were surrounded by glass doors and windows, the snow was falling hard on the other side, and it made the red dress she wore stand out against her tan skin even more than it already was to have a white background behind her. "So, so beautiful," he whispered, his eyes sparkling at her.

"Elliot, don't…" she protested, but was interrupted.

"You are," he told her. "Liv, I don't remember how it happened, but it did, and from what I do remember it was amazing. I'm sorry I was so…" he swallowed back hard as he held her closer. "I was scared. I didn't know what you thought, how you felt, and I told you I love you without even…"

She cut him off. "We're here, now, so stop bringing it up, okay?" she said softly. "We both did some things that we probably shouldn't have done. It's over. It's Christmas, and we've been pushed together again by Mel and Fin, think of this as a second chance." She looked around and said, "A very red, very shiny, second chance."

He smiled at her. "Or a first one," he joked. "Come home with me tonight, Liv." He saw the look in her eyes and quickly said, "Nothing has to happen, it's just…spend the rest of Christmas with me and the kids. I'm sober this time, baby. I wanna remember everything about tonight, about you. About us."

Olivia opened her mouth to answer, but was, again, rudely interrupted by Munch.

"Hey, you two!" Munch said, clearly half-drunk, as he pulled Alex with him over to them. "You chose a very interesting spot to stand," he laughed with a hiccup.

They both looked at him funny, until Alex, also tipsy, said, "Look up, guys! Mistletoe!" She sipped her champagne and said, "But you really can't stand anywhere in here without being under it, can you? It's like growing out of the walls."

Elliot looked up, and he couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, of course," he said, sighing.

Olivia, looking up and then down quickly, said, "Well, it is a Christmas tradition, El."

He tilted his head for a moment, and then smiled. "You're sure," he said, judging whether or not she really was. He saw her nod, and he stopped their dancing. He held her gaze, afraid to move, afraid to begin what had already begun.

"Go on, Stabler," Munch egged. "Make your Christmas merry and bright. Kiss her."

They hadn't yet said enough, they hadn't yet dealt with what had happened between them, but now, on Christmas, at their best friends' wedding, they would change all of that. Elliot moved in slowly, carefully, holding her still. "Merry Christmas," he whispered just before his lips touched hers.

The world stopped moving.

Munch looked at Alex and snickered. "I didn't think he'd do it," he said, shrugging, looking back at the kissing couple. "They, uh, they seem to be enjoying themselves."

Elliot smirked against Olivia's lips, hearing that, and he pulled her into his arms, wrapping both of them around her as he deepened the kiss. "Liv," he managed to say, and then it was just a moan.

"El," she whispered against his lips.

He hummed, asking her what she wanted, without letting her go, without stopping the kiss.

She pulled back, only for a moment, and looked into his eyes. "I love you, too," she whispered, finally answering him.

He smiled and laughed a bit, pulling her back to him. He nuzzled her nose, chuckling happily, and he gripped the back of her neck, pressing his lips to hers once again.

Melinda, watching them, leaned closer to Fin and whispered, "How did you know?"

"The way they were actin'?" Fin questioned. "It was obvious, babe. They got us together, I was just returning the favor."

"Merry Christmas, honey," Melinda said, kissing Fin. They both turned to look back at Olivia and Elliot, and they smiled as they realized the two were lost, oblivious to everything but each other. "They remind me of…"

"Us," Fin said, nodding. "We'll be at their wedding, sometime soon. Just watch." He kissed his new bride and listened to the wedding singer hit the final notes of the song. He glanced back at Elliot and smiled. "Merry Christmas," he said to his friends, though, through their kiss and their oblivion, they didn't hear him.

**A/N: Awww. Next: A family tradition takes a surprising turn, when someone backs out and sends a replacement. Sparks fly. Review here or on Twitter: TMG212**


	7. Rockefeller OneShot

**A/N: Someone can't make a Christmas tradition, so they send a replacement. Watch what happens.**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and related characters/ideas belong to Dick Wolf. Original plot and dialogue belong to TStabler©**

Elliot looked around, then down at his watch. "Damn it, Kathy," he mumbled. He knew she would pull this crap. He knew she'd either show up late, or not all, just to spite him. He rolled his eyes and looked at his kids. "Looks like it's just us this time, guys. Your mother…"

"Dad, we get it," Maureen, his oldest, declared. "I wouldn't wanna go skating with the family I walked out on, either." She shrugged and said, "Did you tell her you already bought the ticket?"

Elliot nodded. "That's probably why she's not coming," he said, his hot breath escaping in puffs of cloudy air. "Fifty bucks down the…"

"Um…Dad?" Dickie, his only son, broke in. "Did you invite Liv?"

Elliot turned quickly, and saw Olivia, his partner and best friend, looking around for them. She took out her cell phone to call, when she spotted them. She smiled and walked over. "What are you…"

"Kathy called me," she said before he could finish. "She told me you had already paid for six, then she yelled at me for about twenty minutes. I wanted to come keep you guys out of trouble."

"Yelled at you?" Elliot questioned. "For what?"

She rolled her eyes and laughed. "Oh, ya know, nothing major, just being the cause of your divorce."

Elliot blinked quickly. "But you didn't…nothing…we never…"

"I know nothing happened," she said, shutting him up. "She just doesn't know that."

Kathleen looked at Olivia, then, and said, "Mom really sent you in her place?"

"After calling every one of your father's friends," Olivia said with a chuckle. "Trust me, I was an absolute last-resort."

Lizzie smiled. "Thank you, Mom!" she yelled. "This is gonna be great!" She twirled around and headed out onto the ice.

Dickie followed her with a whooping yell, and then Kathleen and Maureen headed for the rink.

"We do have one small problem, though," Olivia said, stopping Elliot in his tracks as he moved toward the entrance.

He turned to her, smirking. "I know," he said. "You can't skate." He raised his eyebrow and chuckled as he walked over to her.

He guided her to the rental booth and helped her put on her skates, then he held out his hand. "It's not that hard," he said.

"For the uncoordinated, El, it's difficult," she said, stumbling forward as she tried to stand.

He caught her, holding her for a moment. Their eyes locked. "You're coordinated," he said softly, only a few centimeters from her lips.

She cleared her throat and backed up, saying, "Not really."

He held her hand and supported her as they walked carefully toward the rink. He laughed when she tripped over the rubber edging, and he snickered when she slid and almost fell as they tried to get toward the middle. "I got you, Liv," he said, having a strong hold on her so she didn't hit the ice.

She looked up into his eyes. "You certainly do," she breathed. She looked away again, not believing those words left her mouth. "Just…don't let go, okay?"

"Never," he told her, slipping his fingers through hers. "Just…glide your feet. One in front of the other. There ya go," he smiled. "You're doing…whoa!" He landed on the ice with her that time, as her feet had flown out from under her and she tried to hold onto him.

"Sorry," she said through painful chuckles.

He was laughing, too, as he got to his feet. "Quite all right," he said, turning and holding both hands out to her. He lifted her up just as the snow began to fall. "Getting colder," he said, covering her bare hands with his gloved ones.

"Is it?" she asked, staring into his eyes. "Hadn't noticed."

He blinked, only once, and said, "Thank you for doing this." He looked out at his kids, happily skating, and he noticed Kathleen waving them over. "They would have been miserable if they thought she just left them…well…out in the cold."

She chuckled as the white flakes fell into her eyes, and she held her breath when he took off one of his gloves and flicked them away with the soft pad of his thumb. She shivered at his touch.

"You're cold," he whispered. Inching closer to her, he steadied her as her skated feet slid, almost taking her down again. He chuckled. "Relax, Liv," he told her. He blinked and pulled backward, putting his glove back on and pulling her slowly toward the middle of the ice.

She slid slowly, holding onto him for dear life, and she chuckled. "I feel like an idiot," she said with a roll of her eyes.

"Don't," he told her. "It took me a while to learn how to skate."

"But you learned when you were a kid," she said. "I'm thirty…not a kid."

He laughed and pulled her closer to him. "I know how old you are," he said with a smile. "You're doing fine, now," he said. "Think I can let go?"

She shook her head with wide eyes. "No, thank you," she said.

He laughed and stopped moving. "Turn to your right to stop, just…kind of skid…there ya go," he cheered. "You did it." He took a moment to look at her. "You're…you're really very…"

"Bad, I know," she laughed. "I'm trying, okay?"

He shook his head with a smile. "I was gonna say, 'beautiful,' Liv. You're really…very beautiful."

She felt her cheeks redden, and she hoped he would chalk it up to the cold. "Thank you," she said, looking away from him.

"Liv," he said, getting her to look back at him, "I don't know why she asked you to…"

"She didn't," she interrupted. "Not really. She called, yelling at me, and told me where you were. that you'd be waiting for her. Then she said if I even thought about showing up, she'd make sure I suffered a violent, horrible, death." She smirked and said, "We both know how I respond to threats."

Elliot laughed, then looked at her with narrow eyes. "Why didn't you say that before?"

"Because I don't want your kids to think their mother is pure evil," she said, sighing. "I know what it's like to grow up hating your mother, Elliot. I don't want that for them."

He looped his arms around her and said, very quietly, "Because you love them?"

She was taken aback by the embrace, but rested her hands on his lower back, returning the gentle hold. "Yeah," she nodded, still looking into his eyes.

"And…me?" he questioned, hopeful. "Do you…Liv, do you think you could ever…" he rolled his eyes and chuckled at his awkward behavior.

She bit her bottom lip and she said, almost too softly for him to hear, "Yes."

His eyes snapped back to hers. "What?"

"You…I…yeah, El," she said, the barest trace of a smile at her lips.

He let his own mouth curl into a grin. "I've been trying to tell you since she left, I just…I didn't think you'd…" he stopped. "God, why the hell am I shaking?"

"You're cold," she told him.

He shook his head. "No," he said, pulling her closer. "I'm nervous," he admitted. "Liv, I've fallen completely…"

"Hey!" Dickie's voice yelled as the boy skated over to them. "Look, guys! Did you even see the tree yet?" he asked, happy.

Olivia turned toward Dickie, and then looked to where he was pointing. "Wow," she said, her eyes widening in amazement.

Elliot turned to see what she was looking at, and he smiled at the blinking lights on the huge tree before him. "Pretty," he said, "But it's nothing compared to you."

Olivia looked at him, and he was looking at her, and they moved, inching closer. They were interrupted, though, before anything even resembling a kiss could occur.

"Merry Christmas, Daddy," Lizzie said, smiling at him, then looking back at the tree.

"It wouldn't be Christmas without this moment," Maureen said, looking at the star on top. "And with Liv here this time, well, it's…special."

"You got that right," Elliot said, still gazing into Olivia's eyes. "Now can the four of you please, shut up for a minute? I'm trying to tell her something, here."

Maureen looked at her siblings and folded her arms. "Go ahead," she said, rolling her eyes in mock annoyance.

Elliot took a deep breath, then cupped her face with his gloved hands. "I'm in love with you," he told her. He pulled her closer and touched his lips gently to hers.

Her hands slid up his arms, up and over his shoulders, and then gently resting on either side of his face.

He deepened the kiss, wrapped her in his arms, and moaned softly.

"I could have gone the rest of my life without ever having seen this," Dickie said.

"It's beautiful," Kathleen said, smiling. "The snow falling around them, the sheer happiness on their faces. Well, of what we can see of their faces," she laughed.

Dickie looked up at his sister, then, and said, "Ya know, without looking at you…you kind of sound like…"

"Mom?" Kathleen chuckled. "Yeah, I know."

Olivia and Elliot pulled apart, both heads turned toward the teenager. "You?" Elliot asked, smirking.

"Merry Christmas, Dad," Kathleen said with a wink. Then she skated away, further out into the rink, as the frosty mix of snow and ice fell harder.

Elliot turned back to Olivia and grinned. "Merry Christmas, baby," he whispered, resting his forehead against hers.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and said, "Same to you, El."

Their lips met again, in another deep kiss, and Elliot chuckled. He had a whole new plan for New Year's Eve.

**A/N: A very…grown up…Christmas is next! Reindeer Games part one? Review here, or on Twitter: TMG212**


	8. Reindeer Games Part One

**A/N: The weather outside is frightful, but I'm sure they can find something to keep them busy indoors. ;)**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and related characters/ideas belong to Dick Wolf. Original plot and dialogue belong to TStabler©**

"Good Lord," Elliot groaned, closing the door behind him and shaking the snow off of his wool coat. "I don't think I have ever seen anyone as drunk as Casey was."

"Munch," Olivia said, her coat already hung on the rack.

Elliot chuckled. "Well, he was still more sober than Casey." He walked over to her and said, "Casey was two seconds away from stripping and dancing on the table."

"She did it," Olivia laughed. "Alex sent me a text when we were in the car. She was reaching around to take her bra off when Fin finally stopped her and pulled her off the counter."

Elliot rolled his eyes. "God," he said, "Why do we go to these stupid parties?"

"Usually because we have to," she said with a nod. "But tonight's was…ya know, you're single now. The kids are spending Christmas Eve with Kathy, I thought you'd enjoy getting out for a while. You needed to loosen up."

"Watching drunk lawyers hit on you isn't my idea of a good time, Liv," he said, folding his arms.

She smirked. "Don't forget the drunk cops," she said. "And the not-so-drunk ones. And Casey."

"Okay, that was funny," he said with a light chuckle. "But did you really have to…I mean, you look great. Beyond great. Fucking incredible, actually. But did you have to wear that? It's like you were just asking for it."

She turned over her shoulder, her eyes narrow. Her red dress clung tightly to her body, every curve was accentuated. Her heels made her legs look even longer than they were, and she smirked when she noticed Elliot's eyes moving up and down her body. "I was," she said, raising an eyebrow.

He growled and moved closer, grabbing her and pulling her toward him. "Gotta admit," he whispered. "Watching you turn them all down made my night."

"Thought it would," she whispered back.

"And I'm not single," he said. He chuckled, sounding almost evil. "You think anyone noticed us?" he asked, bending his head to kiss her neck. "Noticed this?"

"They probably just chalked it up to us being just as drunk as everyone else," she said.

"They all know you don't drink," he reminded her.

"They were all too drunk to remember that," she laughed. "Strategically situating us under the mistletoe once every thirty minutes, though, might have made the more sober guests a little suspicious."

He nibbled at her flesh and scoffed. "Whatever," he mumbled, kissing her chin. He made it to her lips and whispered, "Torture. You in this dress, baby, is absolute torture."

She laughed and rolled her eyes. "Call the kids, it's almost midnight."

He kissed her once more and nodded. Then tilted his head as she moved toward the stairs. "Where are you going?"

"To get out of this dress," she said. "You're not the only one being tortured, El. Try walking in these shoes with this dress. One wrong move and I fall on my ass while certain other parts of my body come flying out for the entire world to see."

He laughed and nodded, pulling his phone out of his pocket. He dialed as he took off his red tie. "Oh, is that any way to answer the phone, Kathy? You can at least be mildly civil, it's Christmas Eve." He chuckled as she sent another threat over the line. "I could arrest for even talking about that. Put Maureen on the phone."

He took off his suit jacket as he waited for his daughter to pick up, and when she did, he beamed, "Hey, honey! Yeah, I miss you guys, too. It did? That's great! No, tomorrow, sweetheart. Mom's dropping you off here at three." He smiled warmly when he heard his daughter ask about Olivia. "She's good, honey. No, she will. She will be here tomorrow."

He quirked an eyebrow at her next question. "I don't…I don't really know what's going on with us, actually. Maybe we'll figure it out by tomorrow." He laughed. "Are your sisters and…oh, okay, well tell them I called, and tell them I love them." He closed his eyes when she said they all loved him, too. He hung up the phone and sighed, finding it a blessing and a curse that this is what his life was like now.

He got off of the couch and plodded up the stairs, wondering what Olivia was doing. He pushed his way into the bedroom, hearing the slow, bluesy Christmas music filter through the air. He furrowed his brow and looked around, and he called for her. "Liv?"

"In a minute," her voice called back from the bathroom.

He smirked. "Women," he muttered, rolling his eyes. "Gotta get all dressed up to go to bed." He unbuckled his belt, pulled down his pants. He stepped out of them and walked toward his dresser, humming along with the music. He opened a drawer, and was just reaching into his draw for some flannel pajamas, when he heard her speak again.

"Don't bother," she said, a warning.

He turned quickly, not recognizing the tone in her voice, and he almost fainted when he saw her. He choked on every word he tried to say, the only thing coming out was short breaths and gasping noises. His wide eyes looked over her body, covered in red silk. Her bra and panties left little to the imagination, but covered enough to seduce with one glance. Her sheer robe, red with white fake fur trimming the sleeves, hit her just below the hips. She still had on her red heels.

She held up a bottle and two glasses, smirking. "You have some kind of Christmas Eve midnight tradition, don't you? You get to open one of your presents now?"

He nodded slowly, his eyes still moving over her, his mouth half-opened.

She chuckled, loving the effect she was having on him, and she slowly moved toward him. She put the bottle and glasses down on the dresser and then nimbly flicked his shirt buttons open. She slid the dark green cotton off of his body, letting her fingers caress his muscles slowly. She pushed him gently down onto the bed and sat, straddling him, looping her arms around his neck. "What are you waiting for?" she asked. "Open your present."

His eyebrows shot up and he cleared his throat. "You look…shit, baby, you are fucking…I don't think the word's been…" he shook his head a bit and blinked. "So damn gorgeous."

She let out a light laugh, still smirking, and kissed the end of his nose. "You were telling me before, at the party, how much you were gonna miss all of the games you played with the kids before they went to bed tonight."

"And this is your way of keeping me occupied?" he asked with a grin, fingering the two snaps on her see-thru robe, letting it fall open.

She moaned when he touched her, rubbing his hands and fingertips over her stomach and shoulders. "Well, I thought we could play a few reindeer games of our own." She nodded at the bed behind him.

He turned, unwillingly ripping his eyes off of her, and he lost his breath again. "We had dessert at the…"

"Every fantasy you have ever had," she whispered, leaning over and breathing hotly into his ear, "Comes true tonight."

He blinked and looked back at her, the grin etched onto his face. "Every one?"

She smirked, moving her arm from behind his neck. She dangled a long strip of red silk in front of him. "Every single one," she said to him. "Tonight, El, anything you want."

"What about what you want?" he asked, his fingers snaking in, under the silk of her red panties.

"Same thing," she laughed. "I want to make Christmas amazing for you, I know you're not happy about..."

He stopped her talking with a kiss, grasping the red material and pulling it out of her hands. "You amaze me," he whispered against her lips.

She moaned when his fingers moved further up the silk, sliding across her waxed, wet slit. "Wait," she said softly.

His fingers stopped immediately. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, baby," she said, reaching over for the bottle and the glasses. She handed him the bottle and laughed when he popped the cork, spilling a bit of champagne over onto them. "It's snowing like hell outside," she said, noticing the window. She chuckled and looked down at him. She tilted her head, saying, "It's the first time in years I'm not home alone on Christmas, wishing I was with you."

"Ya know," he told her, skimming his fingers up and down her thighs as she poured the champagne, "Me too. The kids may have been here, keeping me happy, but I was alone. You know what I mean? I wanted you, too, Liv. You know that."

She handed him his glass and nodded, then raised her glass a bit. "Yeah," she said. "I know." She moved closer to him, barely kissing him.

He clinked his glass against hers and whispered, "I love you."

She took a sip of her champagne, put the glass down, and wrapped her arms back around his neck. "I love you, too, El," she said softly.

He placed his glass on the end table next to hers, slid back, and ran his hands up her back, slowly pulling off her robe. He watched it fall off of her and he held his breath. He trailed his lips ever-so-lightly across her collar bone as his right hand shifted, moving back under her red silk panties.

The music played softly, a slow and romantic holiday melody, as he moved his left hand to the mattress beside him, grabbing the flimsy silk strip. He moved his lips, pecking lightly at her neck, and then her chin, as he lifted the material higher.

He gripped her with his left hand and moved fast, flipping her over. He looked into her eyes, almost asking permission as the glint of excitement flickered in both of their expressions.

She nodded, holding onto him, and she took a hard breath as Elliot wrapped the silk around her eyes, tying it tightly.

"Can you see anything?" he asked, whispering.

She shook her head. "No," she told him.

He grinned, shifting off of her. He went back over to the dresser, pawing through a drawer. He found what he was looking for and rested it next to his champagne. He knelt over her, then, and slid down her silk panties, tossing them over his head. He reached for the clasp of her bra, unhooking it and peeling it away, throwing it to the floor, too.

He took a moment to gaze down at her, then he began kissing and licking, biting and suckling. Teasing her. Tormenting her. Loving every minute of it. He slipped a finger inside of her, twisting slowly, making her moan and cry.

"Shit, El," she mumbled, her lips clenched closed.

He added another finger, easing her into a state of bliss. He thumbed over her clit as he kissed her lips, biting on them lightly. When he had her writhing and moaning, he chuckled. He flattened himself on top of her, kissed her lips once, and whispered, "Beg me for it."

"Oh, God, El," she moaned, bucking against him. "Please?"

"Please what?" he asked, reaching for the object near his glass. The movement nudged him into her a bit and they both moaned.

She cried his name, her back arched, and she ran her fingers over his shoulders, trying to pull him further into her. "Make love to me, El," she pleaded.

He took a deep breath, straightened up and pulled away from her, and said, "On one condition."

She popped up on her elbows. He really was sadistic, tonight. She was so worked up and he was giving her an ultimatum? "What?" she asked, curious.

He tugged the blindfold off of her, looked deeply into her eyes, and flipped open the box he pulled out of his drawer. "Keep your promise. Make every one of my fantasies come true, tonight," he said. "Including this one."

She looked at him, shocked, and then looked back down at the box. She wanted to give him everything he wanted, but this was not what she had in mind. She reached out, gingerly touching the diamond. "El," she whispered.

He pulled her close, wrapped the quilt around them, and held the box up higher. "Marry me," he said, his voice almost breaking. He was the one begging now.

She looked at the ring again, then back into his eyes. The games, it appeared, were officially over.

**A/N: What does she say? And what other fantasies do Elliot and Olivia live out? If any? Reindeer Games part two, coming your way. Review here, or on Twitter: TMG212**


	9. Reindeer Games Part Two

**A/N: The answer, the game, and a sweet ending =)**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and related characters/ideas belong to Dick Wolf. Original plot and dialogue belong to TStabler©**

"I just scared the shit out of you, didn't I?" Elliot asked, seeing the deer-in-headlights expression on her face.

Olivia shook her head. "I just…I didn't expect you to do this," she whispered, one finger moving along the edge of the box in his hands. "I certainly didn't think you would do this while we were naked, surrounded by fruit and melted chocolate on…"

"Christmas Eve," he interrupted. This was planned. Not…not exactly like this, but I was gonna ask you, before you fell asleep tonight. You just made it really easy."

She blinked. She knew he was waiting for an answer, but she didn't know how to give him one. She nestled closer to him, pulling her half of the blanket around her tighter as she felt him stiffen. "It's beautiful," she said, still looking at the ring, afraid to look up into the man's eyes.

"Baby," he said softly. "Will you marry me?"

She let herself look up this time. Her eyes darted from his left one to his right one, focusing on each blue iris separately, as she whispered, "Yes."

He gave a hard jerk, a nervous twitch it seemed, and then he visibly relaxed and laughed. "Really?" he asked, sounding genuinely surprised.

"Yes," she said with a smile.

He took the ring out of the box, slid it over her left ring-finger's knuckle, and held her hand in his for a moment as their heads rested together. "This…this is my ultimate fantasy."

"Cuddling?" she quipped.

He chuckled. "No," he said. "I'm about to make love to my fiancée on Christmas Eve." He raised an eyebrow and said, "You and me, we're getting married."

She choked a bit, but laughed and nodded. "We are."

He dropped the empty box to the table near the forgotten champagne, then flattened her out on the bed. He tossed the blanket away from her with a smirk, then reached for the bowl of strawberries she had placed on the shelf above the headboard. He grinned as he dipped it into the chocolate, then chuckled as he dangled the fruit over her.

She laughed as the chocolate dripped onto her neck and chest, but when he bit the berry, then licked up the fallen brown droplets, she moaned.

He laved her body, cleaning up every bit of the sweet sauce, then he reached for another berry. He didn't dip it into the chocolate, though. He held it by the stem between his teeth, and he chuckled when she sat up a bit and bit it, their lips brushing together as she closed her mouth around the sweet, red, fruit.

She chewed and swallowed as she lay back down, her eyes never leaving his. They widened, though, when he pulled the red silk back up and dangled it over her head. "El, baby, what are you…"

"It's my fantasy, remember?" he interjected. "Close your eyes."

She trusted him, so she let her eyes drift shut. He loomed over her, then let the silk fall over her, onto her neck. He slid it down, over her nipples, making them peak and graze against the fabric. She moaned and her back arched. "I don't see how this is…"

"I get the most pleasure out of making you feel incredible," he told her, knowing what she was trying to ask. "Watching you squirm, knowing what I'm doing to you, how I'm making you feel, it's thrilling to me."

Her head dropped to the side as the silk moved lower, slipping over her toned stomach, giving her goosebumps. It was so light, so soft, the feelings were driving her mad.

He trailed the red material lower, dragging it down her sensitive, throbbing slit. He laughed when she bucked her hips, feeling the cloth move back up, then back down. He moved the material back up her body, listening to her soft moans.

"El," she whispered, her head turning to the other side. She felt him move on top of her. She felt his hands grip her hips and pull her toward him, and he felt him, hard, thick, begging at her entrance.

"Open your eyes," he said softly, and when she did, he was looking directly at her, holding her still with his penetrating gaze.

She felt him pushing into her, her eyes fixed on his, and she dug her fingertips into his upper arms. Her mouth fell open and a soft gasp escaped.

He bent over, his lips covered hers, he pushed in further and buried himself within her. "Oh, God," he groaned. It was a long, throaty sound.

She bucked her hips up as her back arched a bit, her skin rubbed against his and she felt him twitch inside of her and she moaned his name loudly.

"Fuck, baby," he seethed, dropping his head to hers. He kissed her again, still deep within her, not having moved. "You feel so good."

She bit her bottom lip, knowing that she couldn't ask him to move. Not yet. It was his night. He was setting the rules of the game, and she didn't make a move unless he wanted her to do it. She simply returned his sentiment with a nod, unable to speak as the pressure built in her body.

He moved. Pulling out slowly, making them both moan, and he pushed back into her, making her cry his name softly, almost whining. He fingers dug into his flesh deeper as he began to move faster, harder, deeper.

She felt him pull her legs up high, around his waist, as his pace quickened, but he never looked away from her eyes. They were silent, or trying to be, as the only sounds passing between them were crescendoing moans and grunts, cries and groans, building higher, louder, faster.

Intense wasn't the right word. It was beyond that. Whether it was because he had just proposed or because their bodies were working harder to compensate for the frigidness coming in from the world outside, the blizzard blanketing the city in white, it wasn't certain. All they were sure of was this night, this experience, was beyond comprehension.

He pumped harder, hitting deeper, still boring directly into her eyes, and her back arched as she clamped around him, her head shooting toward his and her lips crashing over his mouth.

He wrapped his arms around her tightly as she flew up, and he spilled into her, moaning and grunting into her mouth, her moans echoing after into his. They panted, clinging to each other as they tried to come down from an incredible high.

He kissed her face, lightly, delicately, as he held her close, his heart still throbbing and other parts of his body still twitching with the aftershocks of his release.

She clung to him, her eyes shut and her moth opened in a half smile as she breathed against him. "My God," she panted, her head dropping to his shoulder.

"Shit," he chuckled, falling over onto his back and pulling her with him, laughing as she collapsed on top of him. "Holy shit."

She chuckled and nodded. "Where did that come from?" she asked. "And do you think you can do it again?"

He laughed and kissed her forehead. "Every night," he said. "For the rest of my life."

She sighed and kissed him softly. "Yeah," she whispered.

He kissed her again, softly brushed her hair back, and pulled her down against him again. "Merry Christmas, baby," he whispered with a soft kiss as his eyes closed and his breathing regulated.

"Merry Christmas," she whispered into his chest. She was asleep before she knew it.

* * *

"It looks perfect," Elliot said, grabbing Olivia's hands. "Stop that."

She sighed. "I just…I want it to be perfect, El," she said, turning to look at him, her hands still clutched in his. "This is their first Christmas without Kathy, and you're already getting married again, I want them to…"

He stopped her with a kiss. "They will," he assured her. "I swear they will. Stop fiddling with the tree."

She nodded, then looked at him when the doorbell rang. She watched as he walked over and opened the door, and her breath caught in her throat when Kathy was standing there, her four children behind her.

"What are you doing here?" he asked Kathy, confused.

Kathy smiled sweetly. "It's Christmas," she said. "We should be a family on Christmas."

Elliot narrowed his eyes. "I'm going to be with my family," he said, letting the kids in. "That doesn't really include you anymore. You got them last night."

Kathy narrowed her eyes. "So you're telling me…"

"Oh, my God!" Maureen cried.

Kathy and Elliot turned, and saw Maureen gripping Olivia's left hand, holding it with a shocked but happy look on her face.

"You and Dad?" Kathleen asked, smiling.

Dickie laughed. "Best Christmas ever," he said. "Welcome to the family, Liv. Officially." He kissed her cheek and said, "It's about time we made you a certified Stabler."

Olivia laughed and said, "Thank you, honey."

Elliot grinned, and looked at Kathy. "I'm telling you that if you wanna stay, you can stay, but it's gonna be more than just a Christmas dinner. We're celebrating."

"You…you asked her to…" Kathy looked up at him, then glared. "Merry Christmas, Elliot."

"The merriest, Kathy," he returned with a smirk. He looked back at Olivia, being hugged tightly by his kids, and he smiled. "It really is."

"What are you gonna do about work, huh?" Kathy hissed. "You're leaving the unit for her, aren't you? You wouldn't leave for me, but you'll leave for her?"

"Kathy," Elliot sighed, "It's not against any law, ya know. It was just always a personal policy. One we tried like hell not to break until we just…couldn't." He folded his arms and said, "Cragen's coming to dinner. We're talking about it then."

Kathy sighed. "I suddenly don't feel much like celebrating," she said. "Don't forget, Elliot, I am their mother. If she tries to…"

"She's not trying to take your place," he interrupted. "She's making our family bigger, and better, that's all. She makes me happy, Kathy. She always has. Don't you dare try to make this about you."

Kathy lowered her voice. "There's nothing I can say to convince you not to do this, is there?"

"Nothing you've said in the last six years worked," he shrugged. "Why would I start listening to you now that I don't have to?" He raised an eyebrow and walked toward Olivia and his kids, kissing each one of them on the cheek. He looked back at Kathy, still at the door, and said, "It's freezing out there, Kathy, so either get back into your car and go, or come inside and shut the door."

Kathy looked at the picture before her. Elliot's arms tightly wound around Olivia, a sparkly diamond on her finger as hers wrapped back around his, holding him to her. The kids surrounding them in their Christmas dresses and Dickie in a suit that matched his father, in front of the fireplace, next to a perfectly decorated tree. It was too perfect. It was the kind of perfection she had never had with him, because she played too many games with him, always pushing his buttons and testing his limits.

She realized too late that she'd gone too far.

"Well?" Elliot said, closing his arms even tighter because Olivia was shivering.

Kathy sighed, smiled at the family, and said, "I'll go. Merry Christmas, guys. And…congratulations." She turned and left, closing the door behind her.

Olivia looked up at Elliot, and he kissed the end of her nose. "Merry Christmas," she said, her eyes shining.

He kissed her on the lips, ignoring the giggles from his daughters and the clapping from his son, and he whispered, softly, "Merry Christmas."

**A/N: Next, a Christmas scavenger hunt leads Elliot to the best present ever. Review here, or on Twitter: TMG212**


	10. Christmas Clues Part One

**A/N: The hunt is always harder than it needs to be, but the prize is always worth it.**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and related characters/ideas belong to Dick Wolf. Original plot and dialogue belong to TStabler©**

Elliot walked into the squad room and shook the snow off of his shoulders. He put the two steaming cups of coffee on his desk and pulled off his gloves as Munch spoke.

"Okay," the older detective said, "I'm getting a little tired of you either ignoring the coffee I make or only bringing two cups of the real stuff."

Elliot laughed. "I only have two hands," he said, taking off his jacket. "My priority is Liv, not you, man. And it always will be. Sorry." He hung up his jacket and looked around. "Speaking of Liv, where is she?"

Fin smirked. "Dunno," he said with a shrug. "She came in grumbling about having to deal with you being all merry, since it's Christmas Eve, left a note by your computer for you, then stormed out of here."

Elliot furrowed his brow and turned toward his desk. He played with his green tie, with images of Christmas lights all over it, as he bent over and peeled the sticky note off of his monitor. "El, I'm not feeling very holly or jolly. Went to cool off. Meet me in five minutes. Liv." He bit his lip and wondered out loud, "Where the hell did she go?"

"You're a detective," Munch said, trying to hide the smile on his face. "You figure it out."

Elliot glared at the old man, then looked back down at the note. "Went to cool off? The roof? We go there to talk when one of us is pissed off," he mumbled, leaving the bull pen, and he walked quickly down the hall.

He made his way up the stairs, pushing the door to the roof open, regretting that he'd left his coat downstairs. He looked around and was confused. She wasn't there. He turned back, and that's when he saw the sticky note on the door. "Not here, Frosty. The weather outside is frightful! I went to cool off, not freeze!" he read to himself.

He raised an eyebrow, confused, then he smiled. "Nice, Liv," he chuckled, shaking his head. He ran back down the stairs, whistling to himself, as he headed toward the gym. He walked in, passing the machines and punching bag, and he had almost pushed his way into the small room housing the tiny, heated, precinct pool, when a note on the door caught his eye.

He pulled it off and read, "You figured out, Rudolph, but you're a little late. Didn't anyone ever teach you and your shiny nose how to tell time?" He dropped his hands to his side, bit his lip again, and thought. "Time, watch, clock," he muttered to himself as he walked back out the way he came.

He took the stairs down even more, taking them two-at-a-time, getting out at the lobby. Out of breath now, he looked around, trying to find the large clock that, if memory served, was on the wall at one point.

"Detective Stabler?" a voice behind him called.

He turned and said, "Yes."

"Detective Benson asked me to give this to you," the young man in uniform told him. He handed Elliot a yellow note.

"Thanks," Elliot said, looking down at the slip of paper. "Nice try, Saint nick, but it's not here. It broke, remember? Your time is running out, find me before it's too late." His eyes widened and he ran, nearly knocking the rookie over.

He ran back toward the elevator, turning left down a small hallway. The old punch-in time-clock, which no one had used in years, was built into the wall to his right. He laughed, remembering the time he and Olivia had hidden away in this hallway, knowing no cameras could catch them. No one ever walked down here, so they had a few precious moments to themselves.

He pulled the small square note off of the lever and smiled. "Last Christmas. I remember it, too," the note declared in Olivia's girly script. "But you missed me again. I'm getting really tired of waiting for you."

"Tired?" he queried out loud. "Tire, like you're tired, or tire, like the wheel on a car?"  
He needed to think, now, knowing no matter where he went he would just find another note. He didn't want to be wrong again. He wanted to get to the next clue in this Christmas hunt quickly.

He ran outside, into the bitter cold, ignoring the snow falling around him. He ran over to his car, and he sighed when he saw the note, stuck to the inside of the window. He brushed the snow off of the glass to get a better view and squinted to read it. "The other kind of tired," he read with a laugh. "Come inside, sit down, and open your present, El."

He turned and headed back into the station. He ran up the stairs, all the way to his unit, and he burst through the doors. He glanced up the stairs, hoping she would be up there, and ran toward the cribs. He took a few deep breaths before he opened the door, and when he did, he breathed a sigh of relief. "You were here?" he asked. "The whole time?"

She laughed and nodded. "You figured it all out, though," she told him. "Eventually."

"Oh, shit, Liv," he said, his eyes widening as he flipped through the notes in his hand. "I could have…cool off. Cragen sends us up here when we fight, to cool off. I should have just come up here to begin with!"

She chuckled. "Good job, Stabler," she said with a sigh and a nod.

"So what was all of this about? What present?" he asked, sitting next to her. He wrapped an arm around her and leaned in to kiss her, but she pulled away from him. "You didn't send me on a wild goose chase to find you so you could tell me you're leaving me on Christmas Eve, did you?"

"No," she told him rolling her eyes and shaking her head. "I wanted to give you one of your presents early. Get you alone for a few minutes. I think it's…well, I think it's pretty much the best present ever, but…I don't know how you're gonna react. I didn't wanna do this tonight in front of everyone at the party, or tomorrow in front of Kathy and the kids. God, especially not in front of Kathy."

He squinted at her and asked, "What? Baby, anything you got me is…ya know what? I don't even need presents from you. I have you, period, and that's enough. It always has been."

She reached behind her back and grabbed a box, then dropped it into his lap. "Say that after you open this, then I'll believe you."

He looked down at the box, beautifully wrapped, and said, "Liv, baby, whatever this is I'm sure I'm gonna…"

"Open it," she snapped, cutting him off and making him jump.

He looked at her, noticing she was nervous, petrified flickers in her eyes. "Okay," he whispered, "Just calm down, Liv. Look. I'm opening it."

She watched with fear and anticipation as he pulled the ribbon off of the box. She watched his fingers tear into the paper, and she watched, holding her breath, as he lifted the top off of the box.

He looked into the box, confused. He lifted the picture into his hands, holding it delicately between his fingers. "Please, tell me that this is what I think it is, and not an underdeveloped photo from the blackout in Vegas."

"No, it's…it's that. That is…what it is," she said, her words shaky as her voice broke.

He looked up at her, tears filling his eyes. "We're…we're gonna…you're…"

"Yeah," she said, cutting him off with a nod. "We are. I am. I'm sorry, I thought I was…"

"Sorry?" he interjected, turning to face her completely. "Sorry? I'm sorry this didn't happen sooner, baby!" He felt the tears running down his cheeks, and he sniffled as he looked into her eyes, threatening to leak, too.

She sniffled back at him. "You're not mad? Not upset?"

He scoffed. "Why would you ever think I would be?"

She shrugged again and sniffled once more. "You and I…El, we never talked about this, and…"

"We talk about this all the time," he interrupted, pulling her closer to him.

She sniffled and tried to look into his eyes. "We talk about having them someday, we talk about what it would be like one day, not today. Not now. We never said…you never said you wanted…that you were ready for…"

He kissed her, silencing her, and he ran one hand over her belly. "We're having a baby," he whispered, cupping her face.

She reached up and brushed away the tears falling from his eyes with her thumbs. "Yeah, we are." She smiled at him, seeing the light in his eyes, and said, "I think it's a pretty good gift."

"Shit, yeah it is," he laughed. "How long?" he asked, kissing her again.

"Four months," she said. "I just thought…with all of the stress and our workload I didn't think anything was wrong. We've been eating out a lot, and…"

"So that was, what, the end of August?" he questioned, stopping her.

"I guess, yeah," she laughed.

He kissed her again, grinning. "And we're talking, what, uh, May? Probably May, right?"

"The doctor said it could be April, May, or June. Depends on how eager he is," she said, carefully and deliberately, looking deeply into his eyes.

"He," Elliot whispered. "He. It's a boy?" he asked, suddenly looking down at the ultrasound photo in his lap. "Liv, we're…a son…this is…"

She cupped his chin and turned his head toward her. "Merry Christmas, El," she said softly, as another tear rolled down her cheek.

He kissed her, then smiled at her. "Merry Christmas," he whispered. He moved his hand, gently rubbing her belly, and took her left hand with his other. He ran his fingers lightly over her rings, sighed, and dropped his head to hers. Another kiss, another smile, and then another question. "How the hell do we explain all of this to Cragen now?"

She grinned. "We give him his Christmas present tonight, too," she said. She kissed him and held him tight, hoping Cragen would take the news just as well as Elliot had.

**A/N: Part two: The precinct party, an unexpected guess, and Cragen's reaction! **


	11. Christmas Clues Part Two

**A/N: Holiday cheer, a party, and secrets revealed!**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns the characters. That's pretty much it. Everything else written before you is pure TStabler©**

"Wow," Elliot said, taking Olivia's jacket off of her. "You look incredible." He took off his own coat and struggled to hold them along with their bag of gifts.

Olivia chuckled. "You told me that when I put this dress on at home," she said, watching him hand her jacket, and his, to a man in a tux. "You told me every single time I put it on, actually."

"Well, I'm saying it again," he said, turning his attention toward her. He ran a hand down her body and rested it on her belly. "You can tell," he said. "In this dress, honey, if you look closely, you..."

"I know," she interrupted. She looked into his eyes and smiled, splaying her palm over his on her lower abdomen.

He grinned at her and moved, leading her into the party room. "We're sitting over there, I guess," he said, jutting his chin toward a large table. Fin and Munch were sitting with their dates, Cragen was standing near his chair talking to Ed Tucker, and Casey Novak, the unit's A. D. A, was straightening out Trevor Langan's tie.

"So, how are we doing this?" she asked him softly, looking up at him. She tried to ignore the cheerful music and ringing sleigh bells as she blinked at him.

"I'm thinking, 'Hey, we're having a baby, can you pass the salt?" he joked.

She laughed. "I am not Molly Ringwald," she said, "Try again."

"We just tell them, Liv," he shrugged. "The only one who's gonna be surprised is Cragen. He doesn't even know we're..."

She stopped him, suddenly wide eyed. "What we give him his present and he yells? He's been a real..."

"Honey," Elliot interrupted, "We'll deal with it, okay? The way he's been treating us for the past year, he didn't really deserve to know."

She sighed and nodded. "Okay," she said with a tilt of her head. "Let's do this."

Elliot wrapped his left arm around her waist and led her to the table, smiling cheerfully. "Hey, guys," he said brightly to the group. "Merry Christmas," he said, shaking hands.

The unit stood, each member shaking his hand and hugging Olivia. "You look fabulous," Casey chirped. "That dress is stunning, Benson. Really."

"Thanks, Case," Olivia returned with a grin. "Stunning price tag, too," she joked.

"Not here five minutes and you two are already talking about shopping," Elliot quipped, rolling his eyes.

Munch looked Olivia up and down, tilted his head, and said, "You're wearing flats."

"Huh?" Olivia questioned, looking at him.

"Your shoes," Munch said, pointing. "You usually wear heels, but you're wearing flats tonight. You wore flats at work, too."

Olivia raised an eyebrow as Elliot pulled out her chair for her. The waiter came over as he pushed her in, and asked if they would like something to drink.

Elliot pulled out his own chair, saying, "Uh, yeah, I'll have a..." he looked down at Olivia and smiled. "Ya know what? Just two mineral waters, with lemon. Keep 'em coming."

"Yes, Sir," the man in the tux said, walking away.

"No beer?" Fin asked, his eyes wide. "All week you've been talkin' about comin' to this thing and drinkin' till you had to arrest yourself."

Elliot chuckled and shrugged. "Changed my mind," he said. "What are Cragen and Tucker talking about?"

Trevor sighed and leaned over to them. "Policy changes, updated regulations, outdated field guides, you name it. They've been standing there for the last hour."

Munch laughed, then said, "Speaking of time, why are you two so late?"

Olivia smirked. "I had a hard time getting dressed," she said.

Casey furrowed her brow. "You knew what you were wearing weeks ago, Benson."

Elliot smirked, then, too. "What she means is, every time she tried to put it on...someone else took it off," he shrugged innocently.

The table laughed and Munch rolled his eyes. "If I was, with any of my wives, like you are with her, I'd still be married."

Elliot chuckled. "We got a good thing going here, Munch," he said, taking Olivia's hand. "A very good thing."

"You guys know that Cragen's right there," Fin pointed out.

Olivia nodded. "We're telling him," she said. "Everything. Tonight."

"You mean I can stop tellin' him you met a nice insurance salesman who's never around?" Fin laughed.

Elliot nodded with an eye roll. "You can stop telling him everything, Fin. He's gonna find out sooner or later, we, uh, we need to tell him now."

Munch watched Olivia closely, as the waiter came back with their glasses. He noticed a new gleam in her eyes, and he noticed the hand that was not laced with Elliot's would move over a slightly swollen belly every once in a while. "Anything you wanna tell us?" he asked, "Before you tell Cragen?"

Olivia looked at Elliot. "What?" she asked, smirking.

"You're pregnant," Munch said flatly. "I'm a detective, guys. I put together the clues."

Elliot took a breath, squeezed her hand, and said, "Yeah, guys. Uh, we're...we're having a baby."

The friends clapped and congratulated them, but Cragen, who had turned to the table at that moment, said, "Excuse me?"

Elliot's eyes snapped toward his captain. "Yeah," he said with a nod. "You, uh...you should probably sit down."

Cragen, concerned, nodded toward Tucker and pulled out a seat. He made himself comfortable as Olivia reached into the bag. She handed him a large, flat, wrapped gift. "What's this?" he asked, looking at her.

"Just open it," she returned, sipping her water.

Cragen exhaled and peeled the paper away. "A book? You got me a book?"

"Captain," Elliot said, firmly, "It's a scrapbook. Open it."

Cragen blinked and flipped open the cover, then he sucked in a harsh breath. The first page was titled, "What You Missed," and had a beautifully put together collage of photos. Elliot and Olivia smiling, holding hands, joking with friends, they were clearly depicted as dating. "What do you mean, what I missed?" he asked, turning the page.

"You missed all of that," Elliot said, bringing his water glass to his lips. "You were so angry with us, for whatever reason, that we just didn't think you'd want to be there."

"Be where?" the man asked, turning the page. "Oh." He had his answer. Photos of Elliot holding out a ring to her, as they were surrounded by their friends, stared back at him. The tears in her eyes, the smiles on both of their faces, the joy in the faces of the people watching hit him hard. He flipped the page.

"Wow," he whispered, looking through the pictures of Olivia, Casey, Melinda, and Elliot's daughters, modeling the many dresses they had tried on. He turned the page again and his eyes filled with tears. Their wedding photos, taking up the whole page, beamed up at him. "You looked so beautiful, Olivia," he whispered.

"Yeah, she did," Elliot whispered back, looking at his wife.

The pictures from the very small reception were heartbreaking for him. Fin and Melinda were there, so were Munch and Alex, Trevor and Casey, and Elliot's family. He suddenly understood why he wasn't there. He felt so guilty.

He flipped through the pages of their honeymoon, their new house, and on the very last page, entitled, "Baby Stabler Number Five: See You Soon," an enlarged copy of her ultrasound photo was pasted among cute baby themed stickers and embellishments. "It's A Boy," was written in the corner. Cragen wiped a tear away and looked over at Elliot and Olivia. "Missed a lot, haven't I?"

"That last page was made today," Olivia pointed out. "We just found out, so..."

"I'm sorry," Cragen said, cutting her off. "I'm really...very sorry," he told them, closing the book. "I was awful to you, I know that. I just...I thought it would be easier if..."

"You're leaving," Elliot interjected. He was staring at Cragen.

Cragen nodded once, slowly. "How did you know?" he asked, tilting his head.

Elliot sighed, sipped his water, and said, "Munch isn't the only one who can put clues together. You yelled at us, all of us, for things we didn't do. You never came out when you were invited, you kept yourself locked in your office typing up more paperwork than you should have," he explained. "You were filling out your retirement forms, and you were pushing us all away so that when you left...you thought it wouldn't hurt."

"You're really leaving?" Olivia asked, tears now in her own eyes.

Cragen sighed. "I already left. I was gonna tell you all tonight, and...well, Elliot, since you gave me my gift already, this is for you." He pulled a wrapped box out of a bag he had under the table, and he passed it over to Elliot.

"Cap," he said, the first time in months he used the informal nickname. "What..."

"Just open it," Cragen said, the sad smile on his face growing.

Elliot looked at Olivia, then tore the paper off of the box. "He was left with a leather case, and when he flipped it open, he and Olivia both gasped. "I...I can't...I didn't take the..."

"Yes you did," Cragen said, cutting him off. "Two years ago, when Olivia made that bet with you. You had to take the exam if you lost, she had to if she did, and she won."

Elliot smiled and let out a small laugh. "Yeah, I...I remember, but...are you sure you want me to..."

"It's already been done," Cragen interrupted again. "That's what I was talking to Ed about. I'm leaving on Friday. You'll start Saturday morning," he said, pausing, "Cap."

The table laughed, and there were more congratulations. Cragen looked at Olivia then, who looked proud, upset, thrilled, and terrified all at once. "Are you all right, Olivia?"

She sniffled and nodded. "This is just...it's a lot."

Cragen nodded. "It's a lot for me, too," he told her. "God, I wish I could have been there. I am so sorry I made the two of you feel like I didn't want to be there."

She sniffled again and looked up at him. She smiled and rested her hand over the aging man's. "Merry Christmas, Cap," she said.

"Call me Don," he told her. "And Merry Christmas to you, too, Ben...Stabler."

She laughed and dropped her head to Elliot's shoulder. Surrounded by their friends, their extended family, as their lives were changing in every possible way, she sighed contentedly. It really was the best Christmas she'd ever had. She looked up at Elliot, who was looking down at her. "Merry Christmas, Daddy," she whispered.

He grinned and bent his head, kissing her. His hand slipped over her belly again and he whispered, "Merry Christmas to you, too, Mommy."

**A/N: Sweet, no? Next: A one-shot: What happens when Olivia and Elliot are far from home on Christmas? A lot happens, actually. Review here, or on Twitter: TMG212 **


	12. Alone on Christmas

**A/N: Christmas alone. Do they make the most of it? EDIT: They are currently on an assignment, watching a perp at a hotel. That's why they're alone on Christmas. Someone told me it didn't make sense. Hope it does now.  
**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns the characters. That's pretty much it. Everything else written before you is pure TStabler©**

Olivia sat on the bed, listening to Elliot speak into the phone. "Yes, honey," he said. "I wish I was there with you guys, too. I'm so sorry about this, Maur."

He turned and shot Olivia a glare. "Trust me, I'd rather be putting up with your mother."

Olivia rolled her eyes, hiding the hurt that statement had caused, and she turned away from him.

"I will call you in the morning, okay?" he said to his daughter. "I wanna hear all about the presents you guys get. Send me pictures, all right?"

Olivia got off of the bed, not wanting to hear anymore of the phone call that was breaking her heart, and she wandered over to the window. She pushed the curtain back and sighed as the blizzard outside swirled and crashed around them. She heard him sigh and she heard him toss the phone onto the table.

"Phone's yours," he grumbled.

She shook her head, her lip caught between her teeth. "No one to call," she said flatly, her eyes following the snowflakes as they fell to the cold ground below.

"Sorry," he said, though it sounded emotionless.

She scoffed. "No, you're not," she said.

"What the hell does that mean?" he asked, his arms folded as he waited for her to turn around.

She turned and raised an eyebrow at him. "We've been partners for, what, nine years? You've never cared that I spend Christmas alone in a tiny apartment," she accused. She looked around the hotel room and smirked bitterly. "You're stuck here on Christmas, with me. Okay, we got this assignment and couldn't turn it down, I'm sorry. You're missing Christmas with the kids, and it blows, doesn't it? Well, I'm used to it. Welcome to my world, El."

He watched her move toward the counter, reaching for the coffee pot, and he struggled to find the right words. "I care," he said softly, his throat dry. He cleared his throat and repeated, "I care."

She laughed as she poured her coffee. "You don't," she said, shaking her head. "For the past six months, you haven't. You haven't cared about anything I did. Or said. Or..." she paused, sipping her coffee and turning to him. "Forget it."

He blinked, tilting his head. "What are you..." and then it hit him. "Oh," he said softly as he realized. "Oh, Liv, I...I just didn't want you having to deal with my moods. Since she left...shit, I've been such an asshole to everyone, haven't I?"

She smirked at him and nodded with a wag of her eyebrows. "Good of you to admit it," she said. "No matter how hard I tried...you just wouldn't talk to me anymore. I spent weeks wondering what the hell I did, then I just assumed you blamed me for breaking up your marriage like everyone else does."

"No one blames you," he said.

"Everyone blames me," she returned. She put her coffee down and walked toward one of the dressers as she said, "Your kids, your wife, hell, even Cragen had me in his office asking me if we were sleeping together!"

He coughed. He didn't know that. "What...uh, what did you tell him?"

"What the fuck kind of question is that?" she spat, turning to him again as one of her hands rested on the drawer. "I told him the truth, El! Nothing happened, nothing is ever gonna happen, and he nodded at me, said, 'Good,' and kicked me out!"

He tilted his head. "Right," he said softly, nodding.

She opened the drawer, pulled something out of it, then slammed it shut. "After the way you've been treating me for the last six months, you don't fucking deserve this. But maybe opening it will remind you that it's fucking Christmas and you'll rip the stick out of your ass so we can do our damned job and go the hell home."

He caught the wrapped box she had thrown at him, then looked at her with wide eyes. "Before I open this, Liv...please, just sit down for a second, okay?" He moved to the bed and sat on the edge, patting the spot of mattress next to him.

She rolled her eyes and sat, folding her arms. "What?"

He sighed, put the box on the bed next to him, and he took her hand. They both jumped at the contact, the sparks had definitely flown, and their eyes met. He had to consciously remind himself he couldn't kiss her as he spoke. "I'm sorry," he whispered to her. "I'm so sorry, I was...I was going through a lot, and I didn't..." he paused and took a breath. "I needed you, I did. I wanted to call you, I wanted to go over to your place in the middle of the night, there was so much I needed to tell you, ask you...show you." He licked his lips and swallowed hard again. "I didn't know how you'd react to any of it, and I didn't want you to see me..."

"Cry," she whispered, her eyes softening as she wrestled one of her hands out of his and brushed a falling tear away from his cheek. "El, you didn't have to..."

"I'm not done," he interrupted with a sniffle, unsure of why he was crying. "I'm gonna tell you now. Everything. But you have to promise me that it won't change anything, okay? No matter what I tell you, you and I will still be friends, partners...maybe more," he shrugged.

"More?" she whispered, her eyes widening.

He bit his lip again as he nodded. "When Kathy left, I was hurt. Beyond hurt. I was angry and in a lot of pain, but it didn't take long for those feelings to go away." He blinked, but kept his eyes on Olivia's. "See, with her gone, I had time to really feel things I'd been trying not to feel for so long. With her gone, I allowed myself to realize that I was...that I am in love with someone else."

Olivia swallowed back the cry in her throat. She asked, simply, "Who?"

He smiled. "I guess I was pushing you away, avoiding talking to you, ignoring you...all of that...because I was afraid that if you found out you'd hate me, or you'd leave, and I couldn't take that. Liv, I couldn't stand it if I lost you, too."

"Who?" she asked again, a tear rolling down her own cheek.

He lifted one of his hands and returned her earlier gesture of brushing away the tear. He moved in, just gently pressing his lips to hers, and he felt the electricity flow through him as he whispered, "You."

Shell-shocked, wide-eyed, and with her heart beating so fast she thought it might explode, she prodded the gift on the mattress. "Open," she whispered.

He chuckled. "I tell you I love you and you don't care?"

"I care, El," she said, "Open that, it'll..." She looked up at him and saw the expression on his face. "I'm ignoring it, I know." She said, nodding. "I just...you just kissed me. You, Elliot Stabler, the man who has always been out of reach and off limits, just kissed me. I'm trying not to panic, here."

He laughed again and laced his fingers through her hair. "You have no idea what I've been going through. What I've been dreaming about."

She laughed this time. "I'm pretty sure my dreams will make your dreams look like episodes of The Brady Bunch."

He raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying you love me, Liv?"

She bit her lip, looked up at him, and nodded very slowly. "I do. I have," she whispered. "For a long time. When you told me Kathy left...well, honestly, all I kept thinking was 'ding-dong the witch is dead,' but I tried to be there for you. You just wouldn't let me."

"But now you know why," he told her, smiling as he gazed into her eyes. "Forgive me?"

She chuckled, and she looked at him. She nodded. "Only because it's Christmas," she joked. He moved toward her again, lips almost touching hers, and she stopped him. "Now, please, open your present."

He raised his eyebrow. "A moment nine years in the making and you want to put it off even longer so I can..."

"Stabler, open it or you're gonna be waiting another nine years," she threatened.

He picked up the package and ripped the paper off so fast, she let out a hard laugh. "Happy?" he asked, smirking.

She nodded, saying, "Open the box."

He looked at the black box, and he flipped the lid. "Oh, my God," he gasped, taking the gold and silver watch out of the case. "This is...this is the one..."

"You pointed at it and said if anyone ever bought it for you you'd marry them," she cut in. "You said you hoped it wouldn't be Munch," she laughed. "I figured you were going through so much, you needed it." She saw his face and said, "Don't look at me like that. I was going to return it when you turned into the world's biggest asshat, but I had it engraved already. They wouldn't take it back."

He blinked and turned his head toward her. "This is...this is so..." He flipped it over and said. "You had it eng..."

"Read it," she said, interrupting him and biting her bottom lip.

He furrowed his brow, held the watch closer to his face, and read the inscription. "El. Now we have all the time in the world. Always yours, Liv." He looked back up at her, trying to stay calm.

"I had it engraved after...when you got the papers," she said, looking away from him. "I was gonna bring it over on Christmas Eve. Tonight. I was gonna tell you that...how I felt, and I was gonna tell you that now we could...maybe..."

She was stopped by his lips. His hands, one still clutching the band of the watch, cupped her face. He kissed her slowly, making every second count. He ran his tongue over her lower lip, seeking entrance, which he was certainly given.

She moaned as he deepened the kiss, wrapped her arms around his back, and pulled herself closer to him.

"Thank you," he whispered. "Not just for the watch, but for...for being here. You could have told Cragen you wouldn't take..."

"So could you," she interjected. "I know why we're here."

He grinned at her. "No one gets you but me," he told her. "No one gets me but you." He watched her nod, then he laughed. "Means more now than it ever has, doesn't it?"

She chuckled and leaned into him. "Does this mean I have to cancel my New Year's date with Mark?"

He scoffed. "You have to cancel every date you have with anyone who isn't me from now until next Christmas."

She tilted her head. "So you plan on us...not being together...by next Christmas?"

He laughed and shook his head again. "I plan on you being so in love with me by then that other men won't even exist to you, so you won't even think about dating them."

She cupped his face and held his gaze as she said, "I already am."

"Then we're good," he said, smiling. He kissed her and said, "I'm sorry about before. Yelling at you like that. You didn't deserve..."

"You miss the kids," she shrugged. "No one likes to be alone on Christmas, El."

He brushed his lips over hers and moaned softly as she scratched her nails down his back. "You will never be alone on Christmas again," he promised her. He kissed her again, then pulled back, heading over to his suitcase. "I, uh...I did the same thing you did, I guess." He pulled out a small box and tossed it to her.

She caught it and said, "It's too small to be a pony."

He laughed. "I was...I packed it, hoping we'd have this conversation. Hoping when I told you, you wouldn't run, and hoping...hoping giving this to you wouldn't be a mistake."

She furrowed her brow and peeled off the paper. "Why would it be a mistake?" she asked, flipping the top open. Her eyes widened and she looked at him. "Oh, wow," she gasped.

He chuckled. "I guess you like it," he said, lifting the chain out of the box. The simple diamond hit the very center of her neck, laying perfectly beneath the silver pendant she always wore.

"It's beautiful," she whispered.

"It's...it's kind of an apology," he said. "For the way I've been acting. But now, I hope you know it wasn't because I hated you, or was mad at you." He kissed her forehead and said, "And my kids do not blame you. They know nothing is...well, nothing was going on with us."

"What are you gonna tell them?" she asked, looking up at him.

He grinned. "They expected this to happen," he said. "They knew that the minute we were alone I'd tell you, that I'd fix whatever was wrong between us." He kissed her again and said, "See, I didn't lie to my kids the way you lied to Cragen."

She raised an eyebrow. "No, I didn't, I..."

"You told him nothing was ever gonna happen," he said, kissing her neck, sliding his hands over her stomach and back. "Lies. All lies."

She laughed as he nudged her, pushing her down flat on the bed. "I love you," she said, looking up at him.

"I love you, too, baby," he said with a smirk, kissing her again. "I think we should take advantage of it now."

"Of what?" she asked, her fingers running through his hair.

He picked his head up, linked his hand with hers, and whispered, "Being alone on Christmas."

**A/N: So...I can give you part two of this? Or a new one shot involving the kids, Melinda and Fin, and a road trip! Review here, or on Twitter: TMG212**


	13. Christmas in Chicago

**A/N: The votes have been tallied: The kids help Melinda and Fin plan a holiday road trip to bring someone home for Christmas. But who?**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and related characters/ideas belong to Dick Wolf. Original plot and dialogue belong to TStabler©**

"This sucks," Dickie said. "Waiting around here for dad on Christmas eve. Normally I wouldn't mind, ya know? But he's in such a rotten mood 'cause Liv is stuck at the airport.

"Yeah, kid," Fin said to Elliot's son, who was sitting on the edge of his desk. "I know your pops misses her. He, uh, he had somethin' special to give her this year."

"It's not just him," Dickie said with a sad sigh. "We all miss her. I get that this is her job, and she had to go out to Chicago to find that guy with Uncle Munch or whatever, but did she have to do it so close to Christmas? She's snowed in now, and she can't…"

"Hey!" Maureen, his sister, overhearing from her father's desk shouted. "Just because she can't fly home, it doesn't mean we can't get dad to drive out there, right? The truck could handle it." She looked at her brother with a smirk just like her father's.

Dickie looked confused. "What do we say, Mo? Gee, Dad, instead of Rockefeller this year, we'd like the see the tree outside the O'Hare?"

Fin chuckled and rolled his eyes.

"Mom's in Illinois, Dickwad," Maureen reminded him. "We can tell him we want to spend Christmas with her, since Dad's acting so sour!"

Fin raised an eyebrow. "Ya know," he began. "Mel's folks live out there. We can help ya out. It's for a good cause."

"Really?" Maureen asked, happy.

Fin nodded. "Lemme make a phone call. You go tell your dad there's been a change of plans."

Maureen leaped out of her father's chair and bounded up the stairs to find her sisters and her father, who were in the lounge with mounds of paperwork, hoping this plan would be a success.

* * *

"Will you knock it the fuck off, Benson?" Munch asked, annoyed. "You're gonna wear a hole in the floor, and pacing has never made time pass any faster."

"Sorry," she mumbled, sitting. "I just…I hate waiting. I hate airports. I hate flying. I hate being in airports waiting to fly."

Munch scoffed. "I figured that out on the flight out here when you dug your nails into my leg so hard I thought you were gonna rip my kneecap off."

"Sorry," she said with a cringe.

Munch sighed and handed her a small box. "Here," he said. "Merry Christmas."

She looked at him for a moment and said, "Munch, you're…"

"I know, I'm Jewish, thanks for noticing, but I know you're not. I also know that right now you're supposed to be with your fella and his kids, celebrating something wonderful." He smiled at her. "This doesn't even come close, but it's Christmas Eve and I wanted you to feel a little better about being stuck in an airport with me. I know you're bitter about having to spend Christmas in Chicago, not New York."

She smiled at him again and opened the box. She let out a hard laugh and hugged him. "Thank you," she said, holding up the large Toblerone bar.

"You're welcome," he said, saluting her mockingly. "Don't eat it all by yourself. You'll rot your teeth."

She laughed again and broke a small piece off of the triangle-shaped bar. Her phone rang as she popped it into her mouth. She chewed quickly and answered the call. "Benson," she said. "Oh, hey Mel. Yeah, yeah we did. No, we are right now, we're just…oh, really? God, that would be amazing! Thank you, so much!" She stood and gestured for Munch to do the same. "Yeah, Mel. We'll meet him outside. Thank you!"

"Why am I standing and why are you so happy?" Munch asked, folding his arms.

Olivia grinned. "Melinda's parents live around here. She just asked her father to come pick us up, since our flight doesn't look like it's gonna be leaving any time soon. She doesn't want us spending Christmas Eve in an airport. I'm gonna go tell someone at the desk to call us when they get back on schedule, and we're gonna meet him outside."

"I love that woman," Munch said with a thankful sigh as he put his coat on.

Olivia laughed as she made her way over to the desk, silently wishing there was some way Melinda could make another Christmas wish come true.

* * *

"Are we there yet?" Lizzie whined from the back of the SUV.

Elliot, changing lanes, huffed and shook his head. "Honey, stop asking me that, okay? We got another four hours to go.

"Four hours?" Lizzie complained. "We've already been driving forever!"

Fin turned around and said, "It's a thirteen hour drive, without traffic. Your dad's breakin' traffic laws as it is, and it's snowin' like hell. He's tryin' not to kill us, so cut him some slack, kid."

Elliot chuckled. "Thanks," he said.

"No, man," Fin said. "Thank you. Mel's flight out was cancelled and when she heard you were drivin' the kids out tonight…"

"Don't mention it," he said. "I, uh, I wanna see if I can find Liv." He admitted. "I'm gonna drop the kids off and head to the airport."

Fin smirked. "Us first, right?" he asked.

Elliot laughed. "Yeah, man. You guys first."

"So, Dad," Dickie called from the back. "Uncle Fin said you had something special to give Liv this year. What is it?"

Elliot coughed a bit and the car swerved.

"Hey!" Fin yelled, looking at Elliot. "Stabler, man, you wanna live long enough to give it to her, huh?"

Elliot took a breath and looked in the rear view mirror. He let out a small sigh and said, "Okay. Uh, guys? I should have told you this before, but…uh, well…yeah."

"Yeah, what?" Kathleen asked, folding her arms.

Melinda smirked. She knew, and she couldn't wait to see Olivia's face.

* * *

"Thank you so much for this, Doctor Warner," Olivia said, walking into the warm living room.

"No problem at all Olivia," the man said. "When my daughter called and told me your predicament, I told her that her mother and I would be more than happy to help out. It's Christmas, after all. No one should spend it in an airport, especially when they have family so close."  
Olivia smiled at the thought. Melinda's parents considered her family.

"Can I get you two some hot cocoa?" Misses Warner asked. "You both look so cold."

"Yes, ma'am," Munch said with a nod. "That'd be wonderful, thank you."

The woman grinned and headed into the kitchen, Mister Warner led the two cold detectives toward the couch, and Olivia checked her phone.

"Expecting a call?" Munch asked, smirking.

Olivia nodded. "Elliot," she said, biting her lip. "He told me he'd call when he got home from work. He and the kids were gonna bake cookies, and sing Christmas carols, and he was gonna read Twas the Night Before Christmas and…"

"And you were gonna be on the phone the whole time?" Munch asked, raising an eyebrow.

Olivia nodded slowly. "It's Christmas, Munch."

Munch rested a hand on her shoulder, squeezed lightly, and sighed. "I'm not Catholic, but my holiday is about the same thing yours is, Benson. Miracles. You just gotta believe that somehow, you two are gonna be together tonight."

She looked over at him and nodded, then turned her head, smiling at Melinda's mother as she took the mug from her.

* * *

"There it is!" Melinda yelled, pointing.

Elliot stopped short, the SUV skidded, and he yelled back, "Thanks for the warning, Doc!"

"Sorry," Melinda laughed, holding on as Elliot carefully turned the car around, thanking God that his all-weather tires and anti-lock brakes were amazing. He drove down the street and pulled into the driveway, and he left the car idling.

"Oh, no," Fin said. "You drove all the way out here. You're comin' in, getting' warm."

"We can't, Fin," he said. "I gotta go find…"

"Dad," Dickie interrupted. "I gotta pee!"

Kathleen protested, too. "I could really use a glass of milk or water or something."

Elliot sighed and rolled his eyes. "Fine," he said, turning the key. The kids bolted from the car and ran toward the door, more excited than Elliot had ever seen them. He got out slowly, hating the fact that he wasn't any closer to Olivia.

Melinda and Fin shared a glance as Fin rang the bell. Melinda's father opened the door and he grinned. "Mellie!" he cheered brightly, pulling his daughter into his arms. "Fin!" he said, shaking the man's hands.

"Hi, Dad," Melinda said, stepping in. She saw Olivia on the couch, and she smiled. "Liv," she said. "I have a surprise for…"

"Liv?" a voice from outside gasped. The man owning it ran in.

Olivia stood at the sound of the voice. Tears in her eyes, she ran to him. She squeezed him tightly and let her tears fall onto his shoulders. He held her close and kissed her cheeks and eyelids, lips and chin, every available part of her face.

The kids teared up as they watched the reunion, so did Fin and Melinda, her parents, and Munch.

"Dad," Dickie said with a sniffle. "We came all this way to be here for Christmas Eve. Do it."

"Now?" Elliot asked, sniffling as well, unable to tear his eyes away from Olivia.

Kathleen nodded and laughed. "Yeah, Daddy. Now."

He looked at his daughter. "You guys didn't really wanna be with your mother, did you?"

"Yeah, we did," Maureen said.

"We came all the way to Chicago to be with her," Lizzie said. "Uncle Fin and Melinda helped get us here."

Olivia looked at the kids, then. "Did you just…did you…"

Elliot interrupted with the same question. "Did you guys just call Liv your…"

"Yeah," Dickie said, smiling. "All you gotta do now is ask."

Olivia held her breath, she understood what was coming now. She looked at Elliot and he looked pale, as if he had just seen a ghost. "El," she whispered. "What are they…"

"Liv," he said, cutting her off, holding her hand in his. "When I thought you weren't gonna be with me on Christmas Eve, my whole plan was shot," he told her. "I had this image of you and me, by the fireplace, the kids in bed…" He trailed off with a shrug and said, "I was miserable when I thought I wouldn't be with you tonight."

"El," she whispered, cupping his face.

"It's true, Liv," Dickie said. "We all kind of hated him for a while there."

Laughs filtered throughout the room, and he blinked, looking into her eyes. "My kids, Liv, My kids and our best friends made sure we got here tonight, and there was a reason." He fished through his pocket and pulled a small box out of it, holding it in an unsteady hand.

"Oh, God," Olivia gasped, her right hand flying to her mouth as the left remained clutched in Elliot's.

He squeezed her hand harder as he flipped open the lid. "I love you," he said. "I love you more than I thought it was possible to love anyone. If there was a single doubt in my mind that you didn't feel the same way, I wouldn't be here, asking you this." He squeezed her hand even harder. "Liv, baby, tell me I'm not wrong, tell me you love me just as much and that I didn't drive for twelve and a half hours in the snow to do this for nothing." He wiggled the box a little, smirked at her, sniffled, and said, "Tell me you'll marry me, baby."

Without speaking, she kissed him. She wrapped her arms around him, holding him tight. The applause and sounds of light sniffles were heard as they kissed, but they didn't pay any mind. They were in their own world.

"You didn't answer me," he said, grinning as he kissed her.

She laughed against his lips and slid her hand down his chest, moving to grab the ring box. "Yes," she whispered, letting him slip the ring on her finger. "Yes, yes, yes," she said over again, kissing him after each repeated response.

He laughed and held her hands in his, then kissed her one last time, long and deep. He pulled away and blinked, looking into her eyes. "Merry Christmas, baby," he said.

She laughed as a tear rolled down her cheek. "All thanks to a few really good people," she said, nodding toward Fin, with Melinda in his arms, and the kids who were crying in front of them.

Munch, drying his eyes from behind his specs, cleared his throat. "So," he said. "How are we topping this on New Year's?"

There were more laughs as the happy group watched Olivia and Elliot kiss again, and suddenly the horrendous snowfall outside didn't matter. They were all together, and they were safe. Christmas in Chicago was perfect after all.

**A/N: Sweet, no? Next: A Christmas tragedy makes Olivia scramble to put together a last-minute holiday. Does she succeed? Review here, or on Twitter: TMG212 **


	14. Saving Christmas One Shot

**A/N: Christmas needs saving, but who saves it?**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and related characters/ideas belong to Dick Wolf. Original plot and dialogue belong to TStabler©**

Olivia Benson had never been one for Christmas. In fact, she was the type of person who would just as soon see December Twenty-Fifth skipped over entirely. There were a slew of things she'd rather be doing right now than being out in the snow, in the cold, on line at Macy's, buying the last tree left in the entire city.

Getting a root canal. Getting a tattoo of a giant panda on her ass. Eating a tub of mealworms, just to name a few. But here she was, with the tag for the abnormally large, artificial, green, pre-lit monstrosity in her hands.

And she smiled as she handed the clerk the ticket. There was a reason she was here, and there was a reason she was doing this.

Casey, her less than willing partner in all of this, looked at her and said, "Okay, so we got a tree. What next?"

Olivia handed the cashier her credit card and said, "Um…presents. He was mumbling, bawling, really, but I think I understood."

"You're really going out into this city on Christmas Eve to replace everything he'd had wrapped since June?" Casey asked, her arms folded.

Olivia shoved her credit card and the receipt from the tree into her pocket, gripped the box's handle, and moved toward the door. "Yes," she hissed, giving the box a heave. "His apartment burned down last night, Case. He lost everything. He needs this. He needs…he needs me."

Casey sighed. "You know this is insane, right?" she complained. "You know that we're not making it out of this alive, and we aren't gonna find any of the things he told you he wanted."

Olivia stopped moving, turned, and looked up at the redheaded lawyer. "I gotta try, Casey."

* * *

"Where the hell is Benson?" Munch asked, looking around the squad room. "It's not the same without her complaining about the music, the lights, the cold weather, the egg nog, or Cragen's dumb hat."

Elliot sighed. "She said she had better things to do than sit around this place and watch everyone act all merry."

"Hey," Fin said, slapping his shoulder, "Are you okay?"

Elliot nodded. "It was just an apartment. Just stuff. I'm grateful me and the kids were out." He shook his head and said, "A faulty circuit breaker, man. The entire building went up in flames. It…and two days before Christmas? It just…"

"Well like you said," Munch interjected, "You and the kids are okay. That's what matters. You had some stuff at Olivia's, and the kids had stuff at Kathy's, right?"

Elliot nodded. "We're okay," he said softly. "It just…Christmas at Liv's isn't exactly holly jolly, ya know?" He smirked, thinking. "This'll be the first time, ever, the kids don't have a tree, or a turkey, or…"

"That ain't what makes Christmas what it is, man," Fin said, shaking his head. "Someone needs to get that through your head."

* * *

"Stop looking at me like that," Olivia said, out of breath as she ran through the doors of another store and stood in front of Casey.

"This is my appalled face," Casey said. "You held up your badge, and you told that little, old woman that the chemistry set in her hands was evidence in a drug case, and if she didn't give it to you, you would arrest her for obstruction!"

"It was the last one," Olivia argued.

Casey's eyes widened. "You made someone old enough to be your grandmother cry!"

"This was the only thing Lizzie really asked for, Casey!" Olivia spat, turning and heading down the block. "One more thing, then we get them wrapped, and we go food…"

"I wish you would reconsider that last part," Casey whined, rolling her eyes.

Olivia turned again. "I am cold, I am tired, I may or may not have broken a seven year old's arm to get Dickie that drum set, I have come way too far to turn back now." She narrowed her eyes. "He wants a turkey dinner, I'm making him a turkey dinner."

Casey sighed. "Just answer one question for me, and then I will help you make this magical turkey dinner."

"What?" Olivia hissed.

Casey smirked. "Where the fuck do you think you're gonna go when you burn down your apartment?"

Olivia scoffed, smacked Casey in the shoulder with her handful of shopping bags, and turned, walking away.

* * *

"The time is now six-thirty," Cragen declared, walking out of his office. "Stabler, Tutuola, Munch, Richardson…you are officially off for Christmas!"

Elliot leaped out of his chair. "Thank you, Cap!" he said, grabbing his coat.

"And Elliot," Cragen said, smirking, "No matter what happens tonight, just say thank you, all right?"

Elliot narrowed his eyes. "I just did."

Cragen chuckled. "Not to me," he said. "To your partner. She took the day off for a very good reason, and if I know you, you're gonna overreact just a bit. Don't. Just don't." He rested a hand on Elliot's shoulder and said, "Let it be what it is, and just thank her."

Still confused, Elliot nodded. He looked at Fin, who looked just as confused, and said, "I'm gonna go pick up the kids." He shook his head and left, wondering what Cragen meant.

"Am I even doing this right?" Olivia asked.

Casey picked up the empty box. "I don't think there's a wrong way to make instant mashed potatoes."

"They're coming out all lumpy," Olivia moaned.

Casey looked at her, then down at the stove. "You…that's the garlic, it's the garlic. It's fine. Just…keep stirring."

Olivia nodded, then heard the alarm on her phone go off. "Shit," she snapped. "You gotta go. Thank you for everything," she said, hugging Casey. "If you see him on the way down…"

"I don't know anything, got it." Casey grabbed her purse and looked around. "It's not the front display at Sak's, Benson, but it's beautiful in here."

Olivia smiled at Casey, then watched her leave. She let out a hard, nervous sigh, then, as she turned back toward the stove. "Well, it looks like a turkey," she said with a bite of her lip. She gripped the platter, holding it carefully as she walked it slowly toward the table.

She set it down in the middle, then moved to grab the cranberry sauce, from a can, the green beans, from a bag, and the potatoes, from a box, and spread the sides around the stuffed bird. She had just set the basket of bread down when the door opened.

"Liv, you would not believe…" He stopped, mid sentence, as the blinking lights, smell of the food, and large pile of wrapped gifts caught his attention. "Am I in the right apartment?"

"Woah," Dickie said, looking around.

"Dad," Maureen said, "Look at the tree!" She walked closer, then turned, confused, "Uh…is Liv having a baby?"

Elliot ignored her as he moved toward Olivia.

Olivia bit her lip as she watched him walking over to her. She noticed he was saying nothing. "You hate it," she guessed. She plopped into the nearest chair and said, "That ugly thing over there was the last one they had, the only ornaments left said things like 'baby's first Christmas' and 'happy Holidays Grandma' but I got what I…"

"Slow down," he said, pressing a finger to her lips. "When did you do all of this?"

She blinked up at him. "Today," she said.

"You…baby, you went out on Christmas Eve, bought a tree, decorations, a shitload of presents, and you…did you cook all of this yourself?"

She nodded. "Not from scratch," she admitted. "But I was a little short on time, so I…"

"Honey," he interrupted again, a tear rolling down his cheek, "I wouldn't care if you put a bag of chips on the table," he laughed. "You went through hell today. Why?"

"It's Christmas," she whispered, looking into his eyes. "I wanted to give you back everything you lost, El."

He tilted his head. He remembered what Cragen had said, and he smirked. "Did you tell Don about any of this?" he asked.

She rolled her eyes. "I called him to ask him how, exactly, you stuff a turkey. He wanted to know why I needed to…did he tell you?"

He shook his head and laughed. "No, baby. He just…he said something, and it didn't make sense then, but it does now." He cupped her face and looked into her eyes. "Thank you."

She smiled at him. "El, you love Christmas. You and the kids are stuck here because your landlord is an asshole," she sniffled. "I couldn't just let you…"

Her words were stopped with a kiss, slow and deep, and delicate. He pulled away from her, his hands still holding her face, and he nuzzled her nose. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you, too," she whispered back.

"No, you don't…you don't get it," he said, still kneeling in front of her with his hands on her face. "No one has ever done anything like this for me before, Liv. You went against everything you believe in, you did things you swore you would never do, just for me. That's incredible, that's…that makes me feel…this is bigger than love, baby."

She smiled at him. "It is," she said. She looked over at the kids, who were closely examining the odd collection of ornaments and trying to discern what presents they'd received. "I got everything," she whispered.

"Everything?" Elliot questioned.

"Almost killed a few people," she chuckled, "But I got everything. Except…they didn't have…the phone I got you, they were all…"

"I don't need a new phone," he said, cutting her off. "Fin was right. I have everything I need right here, right now. I had everything I needed, even before you did all of this. Just you, baby. You and the kids. We're safe, we're happy, we're together. That's Christmas."

She kissed him softly, nodding, and said, "Merry Christmas, El."

He nuzzled her nose again. "Merry Christmas," he returned. He grinned at her as they called the kids to the table, thanking God, very quietly, that his present for Olivia had been in his pocket that night. He couldn't wait to give it to her.

**A/N: Liv saved Christmas. Yay! Next: A Christmas Wish gone amiss! But whose wish is it? Review here, or on Twitter: TMG212 **


	15. Grown Up Christmas Wish One Shot

**A/N: Someone makes a Christmas wish, but it doesn't exactly turn out how he expected. **

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and related characters/ideas belong to Dick Wolf. Original plot and dialogue belong to TStabler©**

"If I hear one more 'fa' or 'la' someone is getting this coffee pot up his ass," Olivia grumbled, pouring her seventh cup of the night.

Elliot looked up at her and laughed. "We just have to finish this last report," he said. "Then we can go to that dumb party downstairs, and you can 'fa' and 'la' right along with them."

Olivia sipped and walked over to her desk. "I always stay late on Christmas Eve," she told him. "I never go to that dumb party." She tilted her head then, and asked, "You're usually home by now. What's up with you?"

Elliot sighed. "The kids are spending Christmas with Kathy," he said. "In Florida." He ran a hand down his face and leaned back in his seat. "I guess…I I just thought spending Christmas Eve here was a better option than going home to an empty house."

She smirked as she stapled a few papers together. "Welcome to my life," she said.

He tilted his head and said, "I always thought you went somewhere, ya know. After the party. You never mentioned not having any place to…"

"I never mentioned it because I don't like to talk about it," she told him. "My lack of family is not something I'm particularly fond of bringing up in conversation."

He chuckled again, then said, "You could have come spend…"

"No, I couldn't have," she interrupted. "That would have been even more depressing."

He furrowed his brow and folded his arms. "What does that mean?"

She sighed. "Nothing. Can we just finish this paperwork so I can get out of here? As much as I don't wanna go home, I don't wanna be here all night, either."

"No, talk to me," he said, leaning forward. "We haven't really just talked in a long time, and I think we're finally getting somewhere. So, spill it. My family depresses you?"

She rolled her eyes and squeezed the bridge of her nose hard. "Not your family, no. Just…watching you with them. That came out wrong." She heaved another sigh and plopped her hands on the table. "Look. Seeing you _and Kathy_ with the kids. That's what depressed me." She rolled her eyes toward the ceiling and bit her lip. "Seeing her, ya know. She had everything I have ever wanted, and she..." she stopped herself, looked at him, and changed her tone. "I didn't need your perfect life thrown in my face when it didn't need to be, all right? Especially on Christmas."

He still had a scrunched up brow when he leaned forward. "So," he began, "Was it that she had everything you wanted that bothered you, or that she had everything you wanted…with me?"

She shot him a look. "Arrogant son of a…"

"No, Liv, I'm asking because…because it makes a difference," he said, biting his lip.

She ran her hand through her hair and shook her head, backing up. "I can't do this with you right now," she said.

"And this is why we never talk anymore," he mumbled.

"Excuse me?" She turned on her heels and folded her arms.

He held a hand out to her and said, "That. Right there. The second the conversation gets serious, you walk away. No, not walk. Run. You fucking bolt. How the hell are we supposed to change anything if…"

"Maybe I don't wanna change anything!" she spat, heading for the door. She grabbed the handle and pulled, but a larger, stronger hand cupped hers and pushed the door closed again.

"Yes, you do," his voice whispered into her ear. "I know you do, Liv. You do, because I do, and we always want the same things."

She turned to him, very slowly, and raised one eyebrow at him. A silent question.

"I…I made a wish last night," he confessed, his voice almost inaudible. "I make a wish every December Twenty-Third, I have since I was five years old." He held her gaze, struggling with the urge to do something rash.

"It's December Twenty-Fourth," she said, her eyebrow lowering. "Did you get your wish?"

"Almost," he told her. "I wished…I wished that we would talk, that I would be able to say some things to you without you walking away, that when I told you what I had to tell you, you wouldn't hate me, you wouldn't run." He smirked and chuckled. "I wished that it would be someplace private, and comfortable, but this isn't what I had in mind."

She looked at him, bit her lip, and said, "That's a specific wish."

"You have no idea," he said, grinning.

She cleared her throat, then looked down, noticing his hand was still holding hers on top of the door handle. "What…what do you want to…"

"She's gone," he whispered, cutting her off. He lifted her hand off of the handle and linked their fingers together. "She left, and you were there, telling me it was all gonna be okay, though I think…I think it already was."

She blinked. "You're not making any…"

"I let her go, Liv," he interrupted again. "After years of fighting to hold on, I picked now to let her go. Do you know why?"

She shrugged, bit her lip, and looked into his eyes.

"Because I couldn't stand to see one more guy who wasn't me take you out," he admitted. "I hated hearing you talk about your dates, I stayed awake at night wondering if you were sleeping alone, and if I thought you weren't I got physically ill."

She was aware that his hands were moving up her body, but she was too stunned by his words to move or stop him.

"I had dreams about this," he told her. "I would try to imagine what you'd feel like under me, what your skin would feel like in my hands, what would happen if I touched you the right way." He followed the path of his fingers with his eyes, watching her body's reaction to his touch, and he smirked at it. "I wondered if you were ticklish, if you were a delicate lover or if you were just as rough and tough in bed as you were on the field."

She swallowed hard, and her body jerked as he ran over a sensitive spot. She hit the wall behind her and saw something flash in his eyes. "What are you…"

"You can't tell me you don't feel anything," he said before she could finish her thought. "The way you look at me, I see it in your eyes, Liv. The one thing I wanted…my wish this Christmas," he said, pausing as he loomed closer to her, "Was that you wouldn't run when I told you I love you."

She took a sharp breath. Her pupils dilated as she inhaled his scent and she gripped his shoulders as he leaned in. "El," she whispered.

"All you have to say is you don't want this," he whispered, a centimeter from her lips. "I'll stop, I'll move, I'll go home. We can pretend this never happened, we can pretend I wished for a pony." He brushed his lips lightly over hers.

"El," she whispered again, her eyes fluttering shut, and she held onto his shoulders even tighter. "I…I…"

"What, Liv?" he whispered. "Say it."

"Merry Christmas," she said softly, and she pulled him toward her, pressing her lips to his. She moaned softly when he let out a relieved sigh and sucked gently on her bottom lip. She dropped her jaw a bit, letting him in, letting him explore, and she moaned a little louder when she felt his hand running up her leg.

He grabbed her knee and pulled her leg up, wrapping it around his waist as he pressed her further into the door. He rolled his hips into her, groaning at the friction the action was causing against his already quite painful erection.

She moved her hands from his shoulders to his back, bucking her hips into him in return, meeting each eager moan and gasp. "Shit," she seethed, feeling his teeth sink into her neck.

He groaned, pushing into her harder, moving faster, and his hands moved toward her waist, toying at her button.

"Wait," she gasped. "El, we can't…not here…we shouldn't…"

He slammed his lips over hers, silencing her protests. He finagled the button opened, and he shoved down her zipper. He clawed at the fabric until it slid over her hips and he shoved his hand into her pants, stroking her mound, which he was pleasantly surprised to find silken and bare. He let out a series of moans, they sounded almost painful, and he pulled his lips off of hers. "You're not running," he said, breathing hotly over her lips.

"Can't," she moaned. "Can't move right now."

He chuckled, slid his fingers further inside of her, and they both moaned. "God," he cried, "Waited so long for this."

She nipped at his neck and mumbled, "Gonna be so late for that party."

He chuckled, kissed the patch of skin above her breasts that her sweater revealed, and he said, "Don't think we're gonna make it this year, either." He swirled his thumb over her clit and moaned when he felt her rake her nails over his erection. "Baby that feels so good."

She moaned and kissed his neck again. "Tell me something, El," she demanded softly.

"Anything," he replied in just as low of a whisper.

"Why did you do this?" she asked with a whimpering moan.

"Isn't it obvious?" he asked, dropping his lips back to her neck as he moved his fingers deeper. "I love you, Benson."

She moaned and cried his name, then said, "I love you, too, Stable." She rolled her hips into his hand, moaning again, and said "But I meant, why…Christmas. Why now?"

He chuckled and said, "Because we're alone, baby. Because all the cameras and the security lights go off at nine on Christmas Eve, and because I wanted this. I wanted you. You were, are, and always will be my Christmas wish."

She dug her fingers into his back and turned her head, looking into his eyes. "Be careful what you wish for, Elliot," she said, her eyes narrowing and darkening. She moved suddenly, grabbing his wrist, dropping her leg from around his waist, and flipping them around.

He smirked. "Oh, yeah," he moaned. "Best wish I ever made."

**A/N: I made a similar wish. So I expect Elliot Stabler to be under my tree wearing nothing but a bow and a smile. Thanks, Santa! Next: A falling tree, spilled egg nog, raw turkey, burnt potatoes, and a missing present. But something makes Christmas merry…what?**


	16. Best Worst Christmas Party Ever One Shot

**A/N: Everything that could possibly go wrong at this party does. Merry Christmas.**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and related characters/ideas belong to Dick Wolf. Original plot and dialogue belong to TStabler©**

"Elliot!" Olivia yelled, looking up at her partner. "Elliot Stabler, get down from there! I don't want those blinking bastards on my roof!"

Elliot, at the top of a ladder hanging a string of Christmas lights, looked down. "Too bad, Benson. It's Christmas, and it's not just your roof, deal with it!"

In a fit of anger and frustration, Olivia gave the ladder a hard shove. "Let's see you get down from there now, asshole," she muttered, watching Elliot flail and kick his legs as he clung to the gutter of the house.

"What the hell just happened?" Alex Cabot, friend and lawyer, asked as Olivia walked through the door huffing.

"Compromise," Olivia hissed, throwing off her jacket and ripping off her gloves. "What every great relationship is based on, right?"

A light crash was heard, followed by a thud. Then some scrambling, and angry-sounding footsteps, and the slamming of a door. "Liv, what the hell?" he boomed.

"Oh, you lived?" she snarked.

"They're just lights!" he yelled. "You knew that I would be decorating the place when we…"

"We have a tree," she said. She folded her arms. "I draw the line at making the house visible from space."

He closed his eyes and let out a soft chuckle. "Baby," he sighed, "you know I won't go that far."

She dropped her head into his chest, apologizing for nearly killing him. "As long as it doesn't look like a gingerbread house," she grumbled, "Do what you want."

He kissed her forehead. "Already done," he told her. "Fin and Mel showed up, just as soon as I landed on my ass, and I asked him to finish hanging them so I could come in here and kill you." He kissed her again. "Guess I don't have to do that now."

She smiled and shook her head lightly. "Nope."

Alex popped a piece of a candy cane into her mouth. "You two are too damned cute for words," she said. "This was a cute idea, too, by the way. A housewarming Christmas party."

"We figured everyone would show up if they thought it wasn't just a holiday thing," Elliot said, holding Olivia.

"Casey hates Christmas parties," Olivia said, "And Fin and Melinda will use any excuse to try to give us new furniture."

"Or old furniture," Elliot added. "Or stemware. Or Tupperware. Or advice. Or…"

"She gets it," Olivia said, turning to him with a smirk and kissing him.

Dickie, Elliot's son from a previous marriage, walked into the kitchen then. "Hey, Dad? Can we plug in the tree? It's getting dark, and we wanna see it all lit up."

"Sure, kid," he said with a grin. He kissed Olivia's forehead again, and then he moved toward the living room with the fourteen-year-old.

Alex looked at Olivia, who was staring after Elliot. "I never thought I'd see the day," she said.

"What?" Olivia questioned, turning her attention back to the blonde.

"You're actually settling down," Alex said, shaking her head. "You got married, Benson. To Stabler! You bought a house. You're gonna have kids eventually, Olivia, this is huge."

Olivia smiled. "It's pretty amazing, huh?"

From the living room, interrupting their small, happy moment, they heard a loud, "Oh, my God!" and a few screams from various guests and children. Elliot ran into the kitchen, ripped the fire extinguisher off of the wall, and ran out.

Olivia and Alex looked at each other, then ran into the living room. "What happened?" they yelled simultaneously.

Elliot, coughing and aiming the extinguisher at the smoking tree, shouted, "Short in the lights!"

Lizzie, Dickie's twin sister, also coughing, said, "The thing caught on fire almost as soon as Dad plugged it in!"

Alex walked over to Munch, her boyfriend, and wrapped her arms around him. "Thank God no one was hurt," she said.

"It was actually really cool," Dickie said with a smile.

Elliot finished putting out the small fire, dropped the extinguisher, and pulled Olivia into his arms as he heaved a sigh. "Damn," he hissed, closing his eyes and taking another deep breath.

"It's okay," she said to him. "Baby, it was just a tree. It could have been…"

"I know, honey, but still." He shook his head. "It was…shit," he said softly.

She rubbed his back soothingly and kissed him. "It can't stay in here," she told him.

"I know, baby," he sighed. "You wanna help me get the ornaments that aren't destroyed off of it? Then I'll get it out of here."

She nodded, then reached for the porcelain decoration that they'd bought a year ago to commemorated their engagement. Then took down the one they'd bought a week ago, to honor their first Christmas as a married couple.

He took her hand, holding the ornament, and he said, "Thank God for small favors," as he noticed neither one had been damaged at all.

She let her fingers slide over the ornament and she stopped herself from crying. She would never admit it out loud, but she loved the stupid tree, and she was heartbroken that it had just erupted into flames.

Fin walked in, Melinda behind him with armfuls of gifts, and he shook the snow off of him as he looked around curiously. "What did I miss?"

"While you were hanging lights outside, the ones in here tried to kill us," Munch said.

Fin eyed the tree cautiously, looked at Elliot and Olivia, then saw the looks on the kids faces. "All right, man," he said. "Before I thaw out, lemme help you take the tree outside."

Elliot nodded, grabbing what ornaments he could quickly, and handing them to Olivia. He and Fin hoisted the charred tree out of the stand and lumbered it out of the house.

"Well," Melinda said, putting the gifts down, "It's never dull around the two of you, that's for sure."

Olivia chuckled, grateful to have a friend who knew exactly how to cheer her up. "Guess not," she shrugged.

Alex pulled away from Munch and walked over to Olivia, saying, "Why don't we go check on dinner, huh?" She tugged on the sleeve of Olivia's sweater, dragging her into the kitchen.

"Yeah," Olivia said softly, letting Alex lead her toward the white room.

Melinda followed as well, as did Casey, and the girls all scrunched up their noses upon smelling something rather unpleasant. "What is that?" Olivia asked, sniffing.

Melinda looked at Olivia. "Did you try to cook…"

"Are you kidding?" Olivia interrupted as she grabbed a potholder and walked over to the stove. "Elliot does the cooking. He knows I would burn down the house."

Casey scoffed. "He's already almost done that. Twice." She watched Olivia take a barely cooked turkey surrounded by blackened potatoes and onions out of the oven. "Maybe he should have let you cook."

"How the hell did this happen?" Olivia barked as she slammed the metal tray down on the counter and burst into harsh sobs. "This bites," she spat.

Melinda rubbed her back gently. "Aw, honey," she said gently. "Don't cry."

"He tried so hard to make everything perfect," Olivia said, shaking her head. "I bit his head off about stupid fucking lights!" She sniffled and said, "All he wanted to do was make this special, and when the tree blew up, he probably forgot all about the damned turkey and…"

"Hold on," Alex said, wrapping an around her. "The Olivia Benson I know wouldn't be crying over this. You'd be laughing, and you'd be thankful the fucking tree caught on fire, girl. You hate Christmas. Olivia, what's with the tears?" she asked, resting a hand on her shoulder.

Olivia shrugged. "Hormones," she said. "I cried during a dog food commercial yesterday."

Casey narrowed her eyes. "Olivia," she said, tilting her head. "Are you…"

"Hey, guys!" Maureen, Elliot's oldest child, yelled. "We're opening the secret Santa gifts, and Dad wants to open the housewarming presents."

Olivia dried her eyes. "Do I look like I've been crying?"

"No, sweetie," Melinda said, shaking her head. She gave Olivia a gentle shove toward the living room and the girls moved.

As they headed into the living room, Melinda bumped into Munch, who knocked into Cragen, who fell into Elliot, who dropped his glass of eggnog into his lap. "Oh, that's fucking great!"

Cragen apologized and handed Elliot a cloth napkin, and winced when it was snatched from him quite rudely.

"Sorry!" Munch said, turning.

"My fault," Melinda said. "It's kind of crowded in here, ya know."

Elliot huffed. "Forget it," he hissed, slapping at his wet shirt with a napkin. "Nothing's gone right so far tonight, I didn't expect anything less. Just…let's just sit down and do this and get this over with." He plopped onto the couch, shaking his head. "You were right, Liv. This was a horrible idea."

Olivia sat beside Elliot on the couch, biting her lip. She was nervous about Elliot opening his gift. She was handed a large box, and she watched, confusion etched in her face, as Elliot was given a box she didn't remember wrapping.

"On the count of three, we open them," Kathleen, the middle child said as she handed out the gifts, "Okay?"

"Wait," Olivia said, trying to get her attention.

Munch was handed a small flat gift, Casey was given a medium-sized round one. Everyone seemed to get their present, except for Cragen who looked confused. They were all so excited, ignoring Olivia's frantic protests.

"One," Maureen said, readying her fingers at the corner's of her box.

"Guys, hold on a minute," Olivia said, trying to grab at Kathleen's arm.

Kathleen rolled her eyes. "Relax, Liv," she chuckled. "Two!"

Olivia looked over at Munch, terror in her eyes. "I really need you guys to wait a minute…"

"Three!" Dickie yelled. Chaos ensued, as paper went flying and people chattered mindlessly and laughed as they tore open their gifts.

Olivia was the only one who didn't touch her present, knowing the confusion and panic that everyone would be feeling in a moment.

Silence took over the room all at once, and Fin was the first to speak. "Somehow, I don't think this was meant for me." He held up a book. "What to Expect When You're Expecting?"

Melinda turned red, grabbed the book, and looked at Olivia apologetically. "That's not for you, honey," she said to Fin.

Elliot looked at the gift in his hands and tried to hold in the laughter. "I'm pretty sure this was meant for Lizzie," he said, waving the Justin Bieber CD in the air.

Lizzie handed Dickie the two Xbox games she had with a grunt. "I got the wrong gift, too."

"Who is James Douglass?" Kathleen asked, holding up the book she got.

Casey cleared her throat. "He's a conspiracy theorist," she said. "That's a book about JFK. It was supposed to be for Munch."

Munch cleared his throat. "Well, I guess I got the wrong gift, too." He held up the black and gray photo, then turned to Alex. "Unless there's something you need to tell me."

Alex tilted her head. "No, John, I…I had to get Dickie's gift. I bought the games. I'm not…"

"I was trying to stop you all," Olivia interrupted. "When Elliot and Fin moved the tree the tags fell off, and I guess Katie put them back on the wrong things. That…uh…that was Elliot's," she said.

"What?" Elliot asked, looking at her. "Liv, are you…are we…"

"I am," she said, getting up and grabbing the picture out of Munch's hands. She turned and held it out to Elliot. "We are."

Elliot took the picture, a tear slowly rolling down his cheek, and he looked down at it. His finger traced the barest outline of a tiny, round blob. "Wow," he said, sniffling.

"That's what I said when Melinda told me," she said with a small chuckle, looking at her friend, and doctor, the only doctor she trusted.

He stood, then, taking her hands in his, and asked, "Why didn't you tell me?"

She blinked and said, "You were looking forward to this party, I thought telling you tonight would have been perfect, but then everything went wrong and…"

"Baby," he said, smiling at her. "Everything has never been more right than it is now."

She tried to smile and she asked, "You think so?"

"No, honey," he whispered, kissing her. "I know so." He held her in his arms for a moment and said, "Sometimes God makes things happen so you realize what truly matters. He just wanted to make sure I realized how truly amazing and important this was." He kissed her again and said, "Dickie, kiddo, call and order a couple of pizzas, huh?" He kissed her once more and said, "This is officially the best Christmas party ever."

**A/N: True story. Next: What happens when it's Christmas, but it's ninety degrees and sunny? Hmm… Someone gets their wish for a white Christmas, despite the tropical weather. Review here, or on Twitter: TMG212**


	17. White Christmas One Shot

**A/N: Christmas in paradise. When someone wants nothing more than a White Christmas, how does someone else make it happen? Short, but sweet. **

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and related characters/ideas belong to Dick Wolf. Original plot and dialogue belong to TStabler©**

**December 24th**

"It really is beautiful here," Olivia said, looking out over the balcony. She saw the kids on the beach in front of her, splashing in the ocean, and she felt his arms around her.

He hummed, agreeing. "They just needed to get away."

"They did, or you did?" she asked, looking over her shoulder.

"Both," he said with a small shrug. "I think the wedding got to them. They weren't even really over the divorce yet, and then to have to watch her marry that guy? They needed a vacation."

Olivia laughed. "But Bermuda?" she questioned. "In December?"

Elliot chuckled. "We always go away for Christmas," he defended.

"Yeah," she said. "To Ohio, or Utah, or that one time you took them to the Alps, El. You take them skiing. What do you think is gonna happen when they wake up tomorrow and there's no snow?"

He looked at her funny. "Them, or you?" he asked, parroting her previous question in a way, a smirk on his face.

She shrugged and rolled her eyes. "Both," she said softly. "It's just..."

"I know, baby," he whispered, dropping a small kiss to her shoulder. "I know."

She turned to him again, as if she suddenly realized something. "Kathy's wedding didn't bother _you_, did it?"

He scoffed and kissed her. "I would have given her away myself. That man has no idea what the hell he's just gotten himself into."

She chuckled and kissed him again. "Just thought I'd ask." She looked into his eyes and asked, "Are you gonna tell the kids?

He nodded. "I just have to wait for the right moment." He laced his fingers through hers, kissing her deeply, and thoughts knocked at the back of his mind.

How the hell was he gonna make it snow in Bermuda.

As he ran his finger over the diamond ring adorning her finger, an idea hit him. He smirked against her lips, and he hoped that the resort manager would be able to help him.

**December 24****th**** Ten Minutes To Midnight**

Elliot closed the door quietly, praying he wouldn't wake her. He slipped off his clothes, dropping his shorts and sliding into the bed. He wrapped his body around her and settled into the mattress with a sigh.

"Jesus," she hissed, snapping awake at his touch. "Your hands are like ice!"

He chuckled. "Sorry, baby," he said, sliding them down her body. He nestled his cold hands between her thighs, warming them and teasing her relentlessly. He knew how her body reacted to the cold.

"What the hell have you been doing?" she asked, moaning lightly.

"Nothing," he said, kissing her neck. "I didn't mean to wake you," he whispered, sucking on her pulse.

She moaned as a chilled finger slipped inside of her, and she arched her back. "Shit," she seethed. "God."

"Well," he chuckled, "It is Christmas Eve." He added another finger. "Only fitting that you pray to Him right now.

"Bastard," she spat with a smirk, turning toward him. "Why the hell are your hands so damn cold?"

He chuckled again. "Don't worry about it," he said. "Just enjoy it."

She moaned, turning into him more fully. She wrapped her arm around his neck and planted a kiss on his lips as his hand kept up its tricks, and he chuckled against her mouth. He moved his other hand up her body, around her waist, pulling her closer, and the shiver shot up her spine, making her shudder.

"Baby," he whispered, catching a glimpse at the clock on their nightstand, "Merry Christmas."

**December 25****th, Six in the Morning**

Dickie was the first one to wake up. He blinked his eyes open and padded out of his room. He walked softly through the suite, over to the lavishly decorated tree, and his eyes widened at the sight of all of the wrapped gifts under it. He laughed as he ran toward it, fell to his knees, and began to search for all of the ones with his name on them.

He shook each box and bag, trying to guess what might be inside, and as he heaved a particularly large box into the air, something else grabbed his attention.

He dropped the box and froze. "Liz!" he yelled.

His sister, sleeping on the couch, groaned. "Shut up, Dickhead."

"Lizzie," he hissed. "Get up! You have to see this!"

Lizzie shot up and tossed a pillow at her brother's head. "It's way to early for…holy Harry Potter!" She bounded off the bed and ran over to the window. "How in the world…?"

Maureen, the oldest of the Stabler children, "Stumbled out of the room she shared with her sister Kathleen, rubbing her eyes. "You two are obnoxiously loud, and if you wake up Dad and Liv before seven they're gonna…"

"It's snowing," Lizzie and Dickie said together.

Maureen looked at them blankly. "I'm Angelina Jolie."

"No," Lizzie said, pointing out the window. "It's really snowing! Look!"

Maureen walked over to the window, pulled the curtain back a bit, and she gasped. "Oh, my God."

Kathleen walked in, followed by Olivia who looked grumpy, and Elliot who looked as proud as a peacock and had a smug grin on his face. "Oh, look at that, guys," he said, feigning surprised.

Olivia turned toward him, stunned. "How the hell did you…"

He leaned over to her and whispered, "I got up early, asked the owner of the resort if they had a snowcone machine, rigged it over the balcony…voila."

She laughed. "That's why your hands were so cold," she said, wrapping her arms around him.

He laughed and nodded. He looked at his kids, saw their smiling faces and said, "Merry Christmas, guys. I told you I was sure it would be a white one."

"This is so cool," Kathleen said, smiling as she watched the abnormally large flakes fall.

"It isn't sticking, though," Lizzie noticed.

Dickie scoffed. "Of course not," he said. "It's, like, four hundred degrees outside. The point is, Dad got up on the room of this villa and rigged a machine, almost killing himself, just to make it snow for us."

"Best present ever, Daddy," Maureen said, looking at him.

Elliot screwed up his face. "How did you…"

"We're not stupid, Dad," Lizzie said, laughing. "But it's really awesome. Thank you."

"And don't think we didn't notice that rock on Liv's finger, either," Kathleen said with a smirk.

"Something you wanna tell us?" Dickie asked, raising an eyebrow.

Elliot looked at Olivia and then he sighed. "We were gonna tell you sooner, but after the way you all acted at your mother's wedding, I was afraid…"

"Dad," Maureen interrupted. "We were upset because Mom didn't even tell us she was engaged to Nick. It happened so fast, and we don't really like him."

Lizzie walked over to the tree, picked up one of her gifts, and sat on the couch. "We like Liv," she said, smirking. "Love her, really."

Elliot smiled. "Yeah," he said. "Liv and I are getting married. That's why we came out here."

"We saw you ask her, Dad," Dickie said, sitting next to his sister and grabbing one of his gifts. "Sending us down to the beach so you could be alone was a nice touch, but we could see you from there, ya know."

Elliot laughed and shook his head. "I didn't think you couldn't," he shrugged. "I just didn't think you'd realize…"

"Like I said before," Lizzie interrupted. "We're not stupid. We're Stablers." She looked back out the window, watching the last of the fake snow falling and melting. "Wow, Daddy. You took us away, you made it snow, and you finally got what you wanted. You really have outdone yourself this year."

Elliot chuckled and kissed Olivia, then he sighed and sat on the other sofa, pulling her onto his lap. "Merry Christmas, guys."

"Merry Christmas," Dickie said, finally ripping open one of his presents. "A white Christmas in paradise," he said, smirking. "Perfect."

Olivia smirked, looking at Elliot. She squeezed his hand and said, "It really is."

**A/N: Next: Someone in Elliot's life promises to be home on Christmas, and doesn't make it. Events over the next year change his life, and the following Christmas changes EVERYTHING! A vignette fic, coming up! ON MONDAY as this weekend I will not be writing anything, I will be busy with a friend, so sorry!**


	18. Home For Christmas One Shot

**A/N: I know I said I wasn't updating this weekend, but my pal Karen all but demanded I update this today. Thank her. Lol. **

**DICLAIMER: SVU is owned by Dick Wolf. This story is owned by TStabler©**

December 24th 2009

"No, Kathy," Elliot said, whispering harshly into the phone. "You promised you would be home tonight, the kids are waiting up for you, it's Christmas Eve, honey." He sighed and ran a hand down his face. "I understand a lot of people are getting into accidents and you're the charge nurse on duty, but can't someone else…" he stopped, listening to her try to argue with him.

He looked over at his sleepy kids, sitting in front of the tree, and he shook this head. "All right, I'll tell them. I love you, too." He hung up, letting out another breath. "Guys," he called to his kids. "Mom's not gonna make it home before midnight. Just, uh, just go to bed, okay?"

They whined as they got up, complaining as they plodded up the stairs. He heard their moans, mumbles of, "It figures," and "She does this all the time," and, "At least Liv was here for dinner."

He closed his eyes in mild annoyance, and made his way to the couch after saying he was sorry. He plopped onto the sofa, picked up the remote, and tried to forget his ruined Christmas Eve by losing himself in a cheesy holiday movie. He yawned and his eyes slid shut, and the movie was forgotten about then, too.

Two hours later, he was awakened by a loud, frantic knocking on his door. "Wha.." he mumbled, snapping his head up and popping his eyes open. He looked around as the knocking continued and the doorbell rang.

"I'm coming," he grumbled, leaping up and walking toward the door. He opened it and looked into the pale, nervous face of his partner. "Liv? Did you forget something?"

She shook her head.

"What…you…you don't look so good," he said.

She bit her lip. "Kathy," she whispered.

He tilted his head. "She's not home," he said.

Olivia swallowed hard and closed her eyes. A tear rolled down her cheek as she opened them again. "El," she choked, "She's not coming home."

"No," he said, understanding. "Liv, no!" He fell into her arms, falling into panicked, shocked, sobs, asking what happened.

She told him about the car accident she'd gotten into trying to get home, because he asked her to, and he cried on her shoulder, on his front steps, in the snow. It didn't bother him.

He'd gone completely numb.

January 1st, 2010

"El?" Olivia whispered, looking into his bedroom. "Are you coming with us?"

"Go away!" he spat.

Olivia flinched. "Sorry," she said, still whispering. "Guess you're still not in the mood."

"Guess not," he mumbled, pulling the sheets back over his head. He remembered the night before, how he yelled at her for turning on the program for them to watch the ball drop, and he told her he wasn't in the mood to celebrate and to turn it off. He felt guilty, but he couldn't bring himself to apologize.

"We'll be at Sardi's," she said. "I'll have my cell…"

"Just go, Liv," he whispered. He sounded like he was crying.

She wanted to pull him into her arms, but she didn't. She couldn't. Instead, she said, "El, your kids already lost their mother. Please, don't take away their father, too."

As she left, the hot tears fell from Elliot's eyes and hit his pillow. She was right.

February 27th 2010

"Dad?" Lizzie questioned, cautiously. "Um, are you…are you okay?"

Elliot, clean-shaven for the first time in months, blinked at his youngest daughter. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well," she began, "You've been…really angry, Daddy. Since…since Mom died. You won't even talk to Liv. You practically kicked her out of the house on Valentine's Day when she told you she…she had that date." She bit her lip and said, "She's been here every day since it happened, trying to help, and you're making her feel like you…"

"I know I have, Lizzie," he sighed. "That's what tonight's about. I'm…I'm gonna apologize. I've been…I've been bottling everything up. I didn't want you guys to see me cry, so I just got angry, I took it out on her, and it wasn't fair."

Lizzie looked at him and shook her head. "I wish you would have thought about that sooner."

"Why, pumpkin?" he asked, confused.

She folded her little arms. "She just packed her stuff and left," she said. "That's why I asked if you were okay. I didn't wanna tell you if you were angry."

He looked at his bedroom door, then at Lizzie. He kissed her cheek and said, "I'll be back in a bit." He ran out of the room, down the stairs, and out of the house, hoping he could catch her at the corner before she got a taxi.

March 25th 2010

"You don't have to do that," Elliot said, smiling as Olivia attempted to cook.

"Hey," she said, "After everything that's happened, learning how to cook a whole chicken and forcing you guys to eat it is the least I can do.

"The least you can…" His eyes widened. "Liv, you were the one taking care of my kids when I couldn't. When I refused to. I treated you like shit, and you were still here. I finally come to senses when it's too late, I barely get the words 'I'm sorry' out of my mouth, and you come back," he paused and shook his head. "You've already done more than I could ever repay you for."

She turned to him, a carrot in one hand a knife in the other, and she said, "That's what friends are for, El. I know what it's like to lose someone you love. I know what it's like to feel the way you felt, I didn't blame you for anything you…"

"I know," he interrupted. "But I should be the one thanking you. You don't have to cook for me."

She smirked. "You scared off my last date, so who else am I gonna cook for?"

He chuckled, for the first time noticing how amazingly beautiful she looked when she was smiling. For the first time, realizing he'd realized it ten years ago.

May 23rd 2010

"So," Dickie said, pulling a cookie out of the cookie jar, "Are you and my Dad dating now?"

"So," Olivia said, pulling the cookie out of his hand and putting back into the jar, "Did you finish your homework and wash your hands? Dinner's almost ready."

"You're avoiding the question," the boy said, folding his arms.

Olivia laughed. "Wow, are you your father's son, or what?"

"Yeah, I am," Dickie said. "Answer the question."

She sighed. "No, Dickie. Your father and I are just friends."

"You hold hands," he said, holding up a finger.

Olivia smirked. "You hold your father's hand, too," she pointed out.

"You sleep in the same room," he said, holding up another finger.

She laughed. "There's no where else for me to sleep!" she said with wide eyes. "You share a room with your sister!"

"Okay!" he yelled. "Point taken! But how do you explain the fact that he loves you? And you love him?"

Olivia went silent. Her smile faded. She cleared her throat. "Your, uh, your dad doesn't love me, Dickie. We're…we're just friends. I told you that. Go, uh, go wash up for dinner."

"I'll go wash my hands," Dickie said, "But it's not gonna make him love you any less." He hopped off the kitchen bench and walked out of the room, passing up his father, who had seen and heard every word.

He was stunned.

How did Dickie know?

And why did he tell Olivia?

July 20th 2010

"How was the date?" Elliot asked, bitterness in his voice as Olivia walked into the living room.

She threw her clutch onto the coffee table and plopped onto the couch beside him. "Was it a date? Felt more like a train wreck to me," she said.

He chuckled. "That bad, huh?"

"First, he insists on introducing me to everyone as Detective Benson, he made me show them all my badge. Then he takes me to Ray's Pizzeria."

"You, uh, you wore…that…to a pizza place?" he asked, eying her up and down. He loved the way she looked in that dress, and those heels.

"No, I wore this passed the pizza place, down to the corner, where I spent half an hour hailing a cab to get the hell out of there."

He laughed again. "Well, Liv, I would hate to let that dress go to waste," he said, looking into her eyes. "Gimme fifteen minutes. I'll take you somewhere nice, and I promise not to introduce you to anyone as Detective Anything, and you're leaving your badge here."

Are you…are you asking me on a date, Stabler?" she asked with a bit of a smirk.

"I'm not asking," he said, looking at her with a heat and intensity in his eyes that almost scared her.

"Make it ten minutes," she said, her throat suddenly dry.

He smiled and got off of the couch, eager, hoping he didn't just make a huge mistake.

October 31st 2010

"I am exhausted," Elliot said, plopping onto the bed.

From the bathroom, Olivia said, "Well, we took four kids trick-or-treating through Midtown, Brooklyn, and Queens. That's a lot of walking, with hyper and crazy Stablers. Not to mention Fin, Melinda and Kenny added to the chaos." She came out of the bathroom, in black, silk underwear, knee-high boots, and a policeman's cap. She held up a pair of handcuffs and said, "I hope you're not, too exhausted, though."

"Holy shit," he said, propping himself up on his elbows.

"You didn't get to go trick-or-treating," she said, walking toward him.

He reached out, wrapping his hands around her waist, and whispered hoarsely, "Trick or treat."

She slapped a cuff around his wrist and chuckled as she said, "Both."

December 24th, 2010

"Are you sure?" Fin asked, holding up a small box. "This one is more expensive man."

"I'm sure, Fin," Elliot said, holding out his hand.

Fin held up his other hand and said, "This one's cheaper but seems more like somethin' she'd wear, Stabler."

"I know her, and I know what she wants," Elliot said. "I want that one."

Fin sighed and slapped a box into his hand. Elliot slid the credit card he had to the man behind the counter and signed the slip once he received it.

The box was wrapped and bagged, and the two men left the store, making their way down the street. "You sure you wanna do this?" Fin asked.

"Yes," Elliot said, sounding sure. "Thanks for taking the walk with me, but stop trying to talk me out of it."

"I'm not, I'm just makin' sure this is really what you want. You're not just doin' this because it's…"

"I know it's Christmas," Elliot interrupted, turning down the street. "Kathy's been gone for a year, and Liv's been here for it, and I…I can't tell you how much more intense and incredible things are."

Fin smiled, opening the door to Elliot's house.

"You guys weren't gone long," Melinda said, noticing them.

Elliot took off his jacket, and looked around. He cleared his throat, getting the attention of his friends and family. "Hey, uh, everyone? Thank you all for coming tonight, to celebrate, not just Christmas, but the life of a wonderful woman who was taken from us way too soon."

The people murmured and chattered for a moment, and Olivia gave the kids a hug.

Elliot continued. "Kathy was a good woman, a good wife, and a great mother. When she died, a part of me died, too. But not long after, someone else gave it back. Someone who has been in my life for years, someone who has been there for me through every bump I've hit, every problem I've had for the last ten years, and someone I've been falling in love with slowly but surely for just as long." He looked as his kids and smiled. "Someone my kids love, too."

He looked at Olivia and reached into the bag, pulling out the wrapped box. "Olivia," he said, "You gave me my life back, and then you made it better. So much better. I think it's only fair that you open your present first tonight."

People clapped as he handed her the box.

She looked at him with surprised, tear-filled eyes as she carefully unwrapped it, and when she opened the box the tears fell, her right hand shot to her mouth and she looked at him. "El," she whispered.

"Liv," he returned. He gave her the same look he'd given her before he took her on their first date. "I'm asking this time. Will you marry me?"

She smiled at him. She threw her arms around him and whispered, "If I wasn't so happy right now I would kill you for asking me in front of all these people." She kissed him as tears ran down her face.

He was crying lightly, too, and he whispered, "Baby, for the second year in a row, you made me cry on Christmas Eve."

"El," she said, her eyes dropping, "I'm so sorry."

He cupped her chin, kissed her, and said, "I love you for it. For always being there when I really need you, and for fixing me when I'm broken. Just…promise me you'll always come home on Christmas."

She kissed him again and said, "I will, El, because I'll always be with you on Christmas Eve."

**A/N: Vignette fics are my fave! Next: Snowball fights, snow angels, snowmen…no children involved! **


	19. Let It Snow One Shot

**A/N: A snowy night leads to revealed feelings and a way to keep warm ;)**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and characters. TStabler© owns this story.**

"I don't know what happened," Elliot said, looking toward the passenger seat, an apology dancing in his eyes.

Olivia sighed and rubbed her hands together. "The battery probably died, El. It happens."

He ran a gloved hand down his face and turned the key again. The car made a sound like a dying lion and then hissed. "It won't turn over, but the heat and radio both work," he said, "So it's not the battery." He bit his lip and thought for a bit. "What did we run over back there?" he asked, looking back at her again.

"You ran over a fallen branch I think," she told him. "This storm is ridiculous."

He grumbled something she couldn't discern and he got out of the car.

She furrowed her brow, getting out, too, and walked around to the driver's side. "Get back in the car!" she yelled. "It's freezing out here! Just wait for the…"

"Mother fucker!" he yelled, staring at the car. "This is all we fucking need! We got a goddamned flat tire, and we're caught in a snow drift. The engine's probably freezing over, that' why it's not…" He stopped talking when he was hit in the back of the head with something hard and wet. He turned around, and was met with an irritated but smirking Olivia. "Did you just throw a fucking snowball at me?"

"You need to shut the hell up," she said, folding her arms.

He smirked, a small one, and bent down quickly, scooping up a handful of snow and hurling it at her. It whacked her right in the shoulder. "You're a giant child."

"Am I?" she asked, licking her lip and tossing her head back. She bent over, picked up some more snow, and packed it into a perfectly spherical ball. "A child can't make snowballs like this," she said, chucking the snow at him, hitting him in the chest.

The force knocked him back into the car and he let out an "Oof!" He chuckled as he brushed the snow off of his wool coat. "Okay," he said, nodding. "You wanna fight in the snow, is that it?" He raised an eyebrow at her, waited until she moved to make another snowball, and ran toward her, tackling her to the snowy ground below.

"Shit!" she yelled as he rolled them over. "Elliot, what the hell is wrong with you?" she asked, fighting the laughter as he hit her and tickled her and tortured her.

"You started it," he growled as they flipped over again, rolling over another snow bank, into a deep groove of the white fluff. "Just remember that."

She couldn't help it anymore, the laughs came roaring out of her and she tried to hit him back. She tried to defend herself. She gave him one swift and hard shove with her hand and her feet, and off he went, flying over to the side.

Panting, he said, "Was wondering when you were gonna fight back."

"Ass," she breathed.

He laughed and sat up, cupping more snow in his hands.

"Don't even think about it!" she said, pointing up at him.

"I'm not," he said, patting the ball he'd made into the ground between them. "Help me make it bigger," he told her as he packed more snow onto the ball.

She sat up and scooted closer to him. "And I'm the giant child?" she asked, teasing him.

"All right, so we're both a little childish," he said with a laugh, "But you said the tow truck couldn't get out here until the snow let up, and that's gonna be at least an hour. What better way to pass the time than by building a snowman, in the middle of a snow storm, with your best friend?"

She looked at him with a disbelieving look. "I can think of a thousand things I would rather be doing with you than building a snowman, Elliot."

"Well, Benson," he said, "I have some pretty wild ideas of things I'd like to do with you, too, but we can't exactly go skinny dipping in this weather, and I don't see any hot tubs near poled fences around here so two of my ideas are shot." She raised an eyebrow at him as he smirked and winked at her. "You got anything in your pockets we can use for his nose?"

She was still reeling from his admissions, wondering if he was kidding or not, as she pulled her penlight out of her pocket. "Hot tub near a poled fence?"

"Oh," he said, clearing his throat as he stuck the small flashlight into the top ball of snow. "It's a very specific fantasy," he said with a shrug. "He looks good, I think."

She eyed the snowman, tilted her head, and then looked back at Elliot. She smirked and balled up some snow from the other side, then threw it at him. "I don't think your wife would appreciate that little fantasy," she said with a chuckle as they both fell back into the snow.

He was breathing hot puffs of white into the frigid air, letting the snowflakes fall into his eyes. A moment of almost peaceful silence passed between them. And then he broke it with a soft, sad, "Kathy left me." He waited for a response from her but got nothing. "She's gone, Liv."

Olivia was staring at the grayish purple sky, too, trying to breathe. "How long?" she asked, stunned.

Elliot blinked. He swallowed. "Almost two months," he told her. "That's why…why I've been able to be with you for so long without having her bitch at me," he said, attempting a joke. "She took the kids, and they're staying with her parents in Gloversville."

Olivia's head snapped toward him. "Is that why we're all the way out here in the middle of the night? We were driving to Gloversville?"

He nodded. "I was trying to pick up the kids, I wanted them with me for Christmas. I guess I…I got us lost, and then I ran over that fucking branch and…"

"Why didn't you tell me all of this before we left? Or when it happened? That would have been better!" she yelled, interrupting him as she swung her arms out to smack him in the shoulder. She was too far away, though.

He shrugged. "Part of me didn't want to tell you until I knew it was permanent, ya know? Until I knew, definitely, it was really over this time. No sense in getting my hopes up if she was just gonna come back again, right?"

"What hopes?" she asked, staring at him. She was stunned when he moved his arm out to meet hers. Their fingertips just barely brushed.

He swung his legs out a bit, trying to get comfortable in the snow. "Hey," he said, looking at her. "Have you ever made snow angels, Liv?"

She blinked. "I'm fucking thirty-nine years old, and I live in New York. Of course I've made snow angels, dipshit, stop avoiding the question."

He closed his legs and dropped his arms to the side, then lifted them both again, making an angel in the while blanket beneath him. "Make an angel with me, then I'll explain everything."

"Explain, then I'll make you an entire snow Nativity," she told him. "Get your hopes up about what, Elliot?"

He sighed, knowing he was fighting a losing battle. He stopped moving and he sat up. He let out another puff of hot hair and looked into her eyes. "Us, Liv," he whispered. "We both just kept fighting, holding on to nothing because it was the right thing to do. It wasn't necessarily what either of us wanted."

She blinked. She swallowed. Suddenly, her whole body went numb, and she wasn't sure if it was entirely because she was sitting in a pile of snow during a storm. "What do you want?" she asked, barely a whisper, afraid of the answer.

He linked his leather encased fingers with her cotton-covered ones. "You," he told her. "For a long time, now. I've wanted you, and I couldn't have you. But I can now, and…"

"You can?" she asked, her eyes slightly narrowing.

He looked at her, then he realized he didn't exactly ask her what she wanted. If she wanted him at all. "Your, uh, your lips are turning blue," he said, pushing himself to his feet. He reached for her hands. She took them, and he hoisted her to her feet. "We can wait in the car."

She walked, her hands still in his, back to the car, and as she saw him open the passenger door for her, she stopped him. "Let's sit in the back, El. It'll be easier to talk if…"

"Yeah," he said, closing the front door and pulling open the back one. He held it as she slid in, and he shoved in next to her. He looked at her for a moment, saw her shivering, and took a chance. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. "I shouldn't have kept us out there that long."

"I'm fine," she said, snuggling closer to him anyway. "I had fun out there. Our snowman is kind of cute. His eyes don't exactly match, but...he's cute."

He laughed. Then he sighed. "About what I said. If you're not…"

She looked up at him and cut him off. "You can," she said. "I…I think I've wanted you as long as you've wanted me. If not longer. That's why none of my relationships last longer than a few months. I just can't get over the idea that one day, I'll have you."

"So, you were kind of waiting for me?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Maybe," she said, biting her lip. "I'm fucking freezing."

He laughed and dropped his head to hers. "So am I, baby," he said. "I'll keep you as warm as I can until the tow truck gets here. I promise." His hot breath so close to her skin felt wonderful, and she moved, looking up to savor it more closely.

"At least the heat works," she said, softly. She didn't count on him moving down as he nodded, and she didn't count on their lips touching. She didn't count on this kiss, but it was miraculous.

He moaned softly as they kissed, and as she pressed a gloved hand to the side of his face he took the opportunity to deepen it, swooping his tongue over her lips and into her mouth. His arms wrapped around her and he pulled off his gloves, needing to touch her, skin to skin.

She tugged off her own cotton hand warmers, and they struggled with coats and scarves and hats as they tried to stay attached at the lips. They laughed at the absurdity of their situation, planting delicate pecks on each others necks between passionate kisses.

He moved and glided his hands over her body, slowly peeling off her layers, like unwrapping the biggest and best gift from under the tree.

Her fingers, despite the numbness from the cold they'd been subjected to through her thin gloves, made quick work of his clothes as well.

He shifted his weight and pulled her up onto the seat, flattening her out beneath him. He pulled her body close to his, covering them both with his wool jacket and the emergency blanket he kept in the back. "Are you all right?" he whispered.

"I'm absolutely perfect," she said, smiling as she kissed him. "Are you okay?"

He nodded as he looked down at her. "Better than I have ever been in my entire life," he told her. "I love you."

She felt him pushing, she gripped his back and moaned softly. "I love you, too," she told him.

His lips dropped to hers, and they forgot it was cold. They forgot they were in a car. They forgot everything, except each other and what was happening right now.

He kissed her as he moved, slow and deep. He made it last, he made it romantic despite the less than perfect conditions. She cried his name softly in his ear and to him it was The Carol of the Bells.

She met him, move for move and moan for moan. They loved as they did every thing else: in perfect sync. He whispered her name over and over again, like a Christmas Eve prayer, and she held him tighter.

He felt her clamping around him, felt her body going rigid and vibrating under him. "Oh, my God, Liv, baby," he groaned softly. He moved his head, kissing her as he grabbed her left knee, holding her still, holding her down.

She moaned louder, keened higher, let a whining, "God, Elliot, baby," fly as she came. She dug her nails into his back, shaking near uncontrollably.

Her release triggered his, he grunted her name and God's as shot into her. He kissed her and held her, brushing her hair back, and he laughed a bit in post-coital bliss.

She let out a breathy chuckle in return. She smiled at him and whispered, "Amazing," as her eyes rolled back.

He nodded, still panting, and kissed her again. He rolled them over carefully, and held her to him, covering them with the blanket. "Now I'm sweating," he scoffed.

"Me, too," she laughed. "You promised to keep warm," she reminded him.

"I did," he said, kissing the crown of her head. "I always keep my promises." They were both focused on the window, watching the snowfall outside. "You think the towtruck's gonna be here soon?" he asked.

"No. it's still snowing," she said.

He smirked. "Good," he said, kissing her again. "Let it snow."

**A/N: Next: Olivia finds someone Christmas list, and she makes sure he gets everything that's on it. Everything!**


	20. All I Want For Christmas One Shot

**A/N: Someone's Christmas list was just lying around, and someone else finds it. What's the worst that could happen?**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and related characters/ideas belong to Dick Wolf. Original plot and dialogue belong to TStabler©**

Almost seven-thirty on Christmas Eve, and Olivia Benson was still puttering about in the squad room. The captain had kicked everyone out at six, but she stayed behind. Her partner had all but begged (he came pretty damn close to begging actually) for her to leave with him, but she refused. She really didn't care for Christmas.

Outwardly, her excuses were always based in religion. It was a Catholic holiday, she didn't believe in God or Jesus so why bother. Or, she used the superficiality of it all. "Why am I going to celebrate the greed and corruption in this city for one day, then spend the other three-hundred-and-sixty-four trying to rid the world of it? I'm a fucking cop, people!"

Inwardly, though, her reason ran deep. Christmas was about family. Something she had always wanted, now more than anything, and never really had. Sure, Elliot had always asked her to spend holidays with him and his family, but then she would have to suffer the wrath of the man's wife.

In her heart, he and his kids were her family, it was true, but she could and would never expect him to include her. Not for real. She would always feel like an outsider, especially where Kathy was concerned.

It didn't matter that she had, yet again, filed for divorce. As Olivia made her way back to her desk with another cup of cinnamon-flavored coffee, she knew it was only temporary, as it always was for them, and she was better off staying far away from their drama. Even if it meant spending another holiday alone in a dark police station with a mound of paperwork that should have been done months ago.

She reached for another file with another heavy sigh, pushing thoughts of Elliot to the back of her mind along with a shopping list she would never use. She lifted the file into her hands, but a small slip of paper fell into her lap from the top.

"What the hell," she mumbled, thinking Elliot's sloppy filing skills had misplaced a statement or bit of evidence. She picked up the purple piece of note-paper, though, and her eyes widened as she read it.

Her eyes scanned the list:

_1. A new watch- she hates when I'm late_

_2. New cologne- I'm running out of the stuff she likes_

_3. The guts to tell her I love her_

_4. Her. Just her. I want Olivia for Christmas._

"Oh, Elliot," she said softly, shaking her head and putting the list back down on his desk. She bit her lip and looked at the file in her hand, glanced up at the clock, then looked at the list. She raised an eyebrow, smirked, and shot out of her seat. She grabbed her coat and turned off the light as she ran out of the room.

She ran through the empty halls, down the stairs, and sped down the street, remembering to breathe in through her nose and out through her mouth. She made it to her apartment in record time, nodding once to her doorman.

"Hi, Miss Benson," the aging man said as a blur of black and white whizzed by him.

"Hi, Pete!" she yelled as she pushed through the stairwell door. She bolted up the stairs, and barreled through the door quickly. She pulled off her layers of clothing and changed foster than she thought she could.

She ran back down, and out, confusing her doorman. "Bye, Miss Benson," he said, shaking his head.

She didn't hear him. She was on a mission. She knew she wouldn't be able to run very far in the heels she was wearing, so she made it only as far as the end of the block. She was shivering despite the wool coat she wore, and when the taxi pulled up, she got it and spat, "Macy's, Thirty-Fourth street. Stay outside, don't ask questions."

The cabbie looked through the rear-view mirror, noticed her crossed legs, bare, and her red stiletto heels. He swallowed hard, nodded, and drove toward the store.

The ride was silent, but for the tiny clicking of keys as she shot Elliot a quick text message, telling him she changed her mind, and would be there in about an hour. (His response was simple in words. A very quick, "Okay." But she didn't know that he'd done an insane dance and yelled so loudly he scared all of his children.)

She got out of the cab as it parked, said, "Remember, stay here. This won't take long."

"Yes, Ma'am," the driver said, nodding. He watched as she walked into the crowded store, gazing appreciatively at her ass.

She pushed through the doors, knocked over people, made her way through two departments and very long lines with the help of her gold badge. Sure, people yelled, pushed her, shoved her, flipped her off, but she turned, smirked, and flashed the badge and they backed off. She suddenly understood why Elliot got off on the power of his shield.

She walked back through the doors and her eyes widened. It was colder now, snowing, and she was definitely not dressed for winter. She shook her head, checked her watch, and cursed under her breath. She ran back toward her cab, slid into hit, and said, "We need to get to Glen Oaks, Queens. Castleside Street. And you only have twenty minutes to get me there."

"Lady, I don't care how great your legs are, there's no way…"

She held up her badge and smirked at him. "Go," she said.

He stepped on the gas and peeled out, hurling Olivia backward. The cabbie caught a glimpse of red under her wool pea coat, and he, too, smirked. "Whoever is waitin' for you in Queens is a lucky son of a bitch, lady."

She scoffed. "I've been waiting for him a lot longer, trust me."

"He must be really special for you to be goin' through all this trouble on Christmas Eve," the driver said, looking at her through the mirror. He saw her smile softly, he saw her eyes light up, he saw those eyes close.

"He is," she whispered.

The cabbie's eyes narrowed, he grew determined, and he stepped on the gas. He wasn't a nice guy, but tonight, he had to make sure she got to where she was going.

* * *

The doorbell rang, and five people ran to answer it. "Guys!" Elliot yelled. "It's Olivia, not Britney Spears."

Maureen looked at him with a dumbfounded expression. "We would not be this excited if it was Britney Spears, Dad."

Elliot laughed, backing the kids away from the door as the bell rang again. He opened it and his face lit up. "Hey, Liv!"

"Hey," she said. She looked behind him. "The kids are still up?"

"They wanted to see you," he told her. "Besides, I always keep 'em up till midnight on Christmas Eve."

"Midnight, huh?" Olivia said, finding herself sandwiched between the kids a big hug. "That's…that's gonna be a problem," she mumbled, hugging the kids back eagerly.

"Are you hungry?" Elliot asked, smiling at the embrace he was witnessing.

She shook her head, kissing Maureen's forehead. "Just really cold," she said.

"You are cold," Dickie said, holding her hand. "Dad, she's freezing!"

Elliot furrowed his brow. He walked toward her, took her other hand, and his eyes widened. "You're like an ice cube, Liv. Come here." He pulled her into his arms. Pressed his lips to her forehead, and felt her shiver. "Why are you so cold?" he asked, whispering hotly into her ear.

"Wanted to get you…Christmas present," she mumbled, burying her head into his chest.

He felt her body through her coat, then he asked, "You…what are wearing?" He looked down at her, grabbed her hand again, and led her to the bedroom. He closed the door, walked over to the dresser, and said, "I have a few sweaters you can wear if you…"

"El," she said, taking a breath and taking off her coat. "I wasn't expecting your kids to be here."

He looked at her. "Me either," he said. "Kathy told me to keep 'em for the whole week, so…I wasn't gonna complain."

She bit her lip and nodded again. "I understand that, I just…"

"Ah!" he said, pulling a long, comfortable-looking sweater out of his drawer. "It'll be a little big, but…holy shit." He had turned to look at her, seeing her in the thin, red nightie, garters, and those killer heels. "Were…were you even expecting _me_ to be here?"

She took another deep breath, trying to remember that this is what he wanted. This is what he asked for. She reached into the Macy's bag she had in her hands and pulled out the two boxes. She tossed the first one at him and he blinked as he caught it. "A new watch," she said.

"What?" he whispered, wondering how she knew.

She tossed the second one. "A new bottle of the cologne I love," she said.

He caught it and closed his eyes. "Oh…oh, my God," he said, understanding. "You…you saw that list, huh?"

"I love you, too," she said, walking toward him. "That takes care of number three, since technically you already told me. So your real gift this year, what you really want, El…"

"Is you," he finished. "Liv, I…I don't know what to…"

"Just tell me this isn't a mistake," she interrupted, bringing her icy hands to his face. "Tell me I'm not doing this, not finally putting myself, and my heart, on the line for you, when she's just gonna come back and…"

He shook his head. "That's why I wanted you here so badly tonight. I signed the papers, she signed them, it's really over this time. I was gonna tell you, I was hoping you'd help me drown my sorrows in egg nog and cookies."

She laughed. "Give me the sweater, I'll do anything you want. Do you realize I have been out in the snow and the cold wearing nothing but this and that coat for over an hour?"

He chuckled. "Just to get me everything on that list?"

She nodded.

"You must really love me," he said with a smile and narrow.

"I do," she said.

He pulled her close, eyeing her cautiously. He cupped her face, warming her almost instantly, and he moved closer, slowly. "Is this okay?"

"More than okay," she responded. "This is really all I wanted for Christmas, too, El. You. You and the kids." She blinked. "I know it's presumptuous, we haven't even kissed yet, but…"

His lips covered hers, his breath through his nose warmed her over even more. He pulled her tight against him and wrapped his arms around her, lifting her a few inches off the ground as the kiss deepened.

She was never more thankful for Christmas lists or fast taxis in her life than she was at that moment, as her own hands gripped his shoulders.

He pulled away from her, breathless and smiling. "We just kissed."

"Yeah," she whispered.

"Best kiss of my life," he chuckled. He pulled away from her and grabbed the sweater, pulling it on over her head. "You're not changing," he said. "Once those four little elves out there go to bed…I'm definitely opening this present," he said, wagging his eyebrows and kissing her again.

She laughed as their lips met and she asked, "Are we…are we really doing this, El? You and me? Together?"

He nodded. He looked at her for a moment and said, "You should probably know that…the list you found…I've had it written for the last four years. It's a list of gifts I plan to get for myself, that I never have, and I wasn't…I thought this year I would…"

It was her turn to quiet him with a kiss. "How about we go into the living room, play really stupid board games, bake really inedible cookies, tire out those four kids of yours and you can warm me up, because I'm still fucking freezing."

He laughed and kissed her lips gently. "That sounds like the perfect Christmas Eve," he told her.

She followed him out into the living room, holding his hand and wearing his sweater, and she realized that the warm welcome the kids had given her and Elliot's concern for her warmth had meant they all loved her. They did think of her as family, and she was finally ready to let them. She looked at Elliot with a soft smile as they sat on the sofa, and he returned her loving gaze.

They both finally got what they wanted for Christmas.

Each other.

**A/N: Next: A two parter:: When the gang is snowed in, and the threat of missing their separate Christmases becomes more than a threat, will they make the most of it? Or will some relationships come to a frigid end?**


	21. Snowed In Part One

**A/N: When the gang gets snowed in after a party, things take a less than jolly turn for the worse.**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and characters still belong to Dick Wolf. The rest of this story, in its entirety, belongs to TStabler©**

The party had started out great. They had fun laughing, joking about the best times of the year and recalling the worst. They had a great meal, danced a bit, played parlor games, all the while oblivious to the world outside becoming an utter winter wonderland.

Now, they were bitter, cold, left in the dark with no heat or electricity, no way home for all their cars were buried under the snow. It was still falling when the tension started running high. They all had somewhere else to be tonight.

"Any sign of it stopping?" Elliot grumbled from the couch, his empty beer bottle in his hand.

"No," Fin said, scoffing as he did so. "Have another drink, man. Kill time."

Elliot glared at him. The two had been fighting since they realized they would be stuck in Alex's house, since Olivia tried to open the door and was met with several feet of fallen snow.

Olivia, staring out the window at the blizzard outside, was trying to dial a number on her cell phone. "Shit," she said, getting the unmistakable buzzing signaling her lack of service.

"Who the hell are you trying to call?" Elliot asked with a smirk, plopping his empty bottle down beside the five on the table. "Tell me you had a date tonight," he said, rolling his eyes.

She turned, narrowing her eyes, and she smirked at him. "I was trying to call your daughter, you son of a bitch," she said with a small laugh, tossing her useless phone at him. "I wanted to check on your kids."

He looked at her for a moment, a light in his eyes, and something passed between them. Alex and Casey noticed, but they weren't the only ones.

Fin, half-drunk and irritated, snickered. "Yeah, you would call his kids, Baby-Girl. They're the only family you got, huh?"

"Excuse me?" Olivia said, stepping away from the window. "Fin, why would you…"

"No kids of your own, no husband, no parents," Fin continued venomously. "Where the hell do you have to be tonight, Benson?" He stood, shakily, and gestured to the door. "I got a kid out there, a kid I'm supposed to be with tonight!"

Elliot got to his feet. "I've got four!" he yelled. "They're waiting for me, too, Fin! We all have people we need to see tonight, it doesn't give you the right to talk to Liv like that!"

"Oh, please, Stabler," Fin hissed. "You throw the family shit in her face every time you disagree on a case. She don't have kids, so she don't understand. She ain't married, so she don't get it. You do it, and we're all supposed to let it slide, but I say it and suddenly…"

It was a flesh-colored blur, but the sound of Elliot's fist meeting Fin's left cheek was loud."

"Oh, my God!" Melinda cried, her hand covering her mouth.

"Now, it's a party," Trevor said, clapping once.

Olivia ran over to Elliot and stood in front of him, daring him to make another move. "Enough," she said firmly. "It's Christmas Eve, and we're fucking stuck here. I would rather the two of you not beat the shit out of each other tonight, okay? Let it go."

Elliot rubbed his knuckles and shook out his hand. "No one talks to you like that," he hissed.

"Except you, right?" she whispered, tears in her eyes. She blinked. "Sorry. I'm sorry. I know it was a long time ago, but…"

"No, you're right. I'm sorry," he said, grabbing her wrist as she turned to walk away. "I never should have…you know I don't think when I'm…"

"You asshole," Fin interrupted, pushing Olivia out of the way. He reared back and moved to hit Elliot.

Elliot moved, Fin tumbled to the floor and Elliot picked him up by the collar. "What is your problem, Fin?"

"How long have you been fuckin' her?" Fin asked, a vile chuckle in his throat.

Trevor chuckled. "He's gonna die. Stabler's gonna kill him," he said to Casey.

Elliot threw Fin away from him. "You're drunk," he said. "You've been on my case all night. I wanna know why."

"I just told you why," Fin said, staggering to the couch and falling into it. "The two of you, Benson and you, how long have you been fuckin' around?"

Olivia scoffed and folded her arms. "I vote we hide the liquor from Fin."

"I second that," Elliot said, turning around.

"You ain't gonna answer me?" Fin questioned. "That's cold."

Olivia tugged on her dress, and rubbed her hands up and down her arms. "Jesus, it's freezing in here."

Munch nodded. "Temperature's dropping," he said. "You, uh, you picked the wrong dress to wear in this weather, Benson."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Well, I was pretty sure the place was gonna be heated, Munch. I didn't count on a storm knocking out the…"

"Okay," Alex said. "I have had enough fighting. Olivia, I have a sweatshirt or something you can borrow. In my closet, help yourself."

"Thanks," Olivia said with a smile. She turned and walked up the stairs. She had just made it to Alex's bedroom, walked over to the closet, when she heard the door close behind her. "I found it on my own, Al," she laughed.

"I'm sure she's proud of you," a voice, not Alex's, said.

She turned, surprised to see Elliot standing in front of the door. "What are you doing up here? They're gonna…"

"I told them I had to go the bathroom," he said, walking toward her. "Besides they all started reaming into Fin when you left." He ran his hand up her arm slowly, then back down. "You're freezing."

She nodded. "We're supposed to be at your place, with a big tree, the kids, hot chocolate…"

"I know we are," he interrupted. "But we're not, and it doesn't look like we're gonna be any time soon. I just wanted five minutes alone with you."

She dropped her head to his chest. "I can't do this much longer," she whispered.

He sighed. "Me either," he whispered back. He kissed her forehead and ran a hand down her back. "We swore we'd keep it a secret, though. Until we figured out what was going on with us."

"You figured it out already," she said, pulling away from him to pull on one of Alex's sweaters.

He folded his arms. "Have you?"

She turned, comfortable in her new sheath. "I have, yeah."

"And?" he asked, stepping toward her with a small smile on his face.

"And," she said, running a hand through her hair, "I came to the same conclusion." She looked into his eyes, meeting the love and the fear, the excitement and anxiousness.

"So, we're doing this," he said, taking her hands.

She nodded. "Seems that way," she said. She gave his hands a squeeze as he brought his lips to hers, and they fell into each other for a moment. She was the first to pull away, reluctantly so. "I'm gonna go try to call the kids again."

He nodded. "I love you," he whispered, still holding her eyes intensely.

She smiled. "I love you, too." She walked out of Alex's room, down the steps, and back into the room.

"Oh! Hey!" Casey cried. "Olivia, truth or dare?"

"Are you twelve years old?" Olivia complained, barely making it to the couch before Casey attacked her with the question.

"There's nothing else to do," Melinda shrugged.

Trevor nodded. "We've been playing for the last few minutes, and it's been, um, interesting."

Olivia looked over and saw Munch, wearing Alex's halter top. "I see that," she said. "I'll pass, though. You all enjoy making asses out of yourself, I have a family to check on." She reached for her cell phone, but Fin stopped her hand with his.

"They really are your family now?" he asked accusingly. "Baby-Girl, be honest with me. What's the deal with you and Stabler?"

She looked at him, wincing at his swollen cheek and rapidly forming black eye, and she said, "Fin, please. Just let it go and enjoy the rest of this Christmas Eve. That's what I'm trying to do."

"I can't let it go," Fin said, looking at her more harshly.

Elliot, having come down the stairs and into the room, sat beside Olivia and asked, "Why not?"

Fin leaned forward, whispering, "Because I think I might have a thing for you."

Olivia shrank back against Elliot, gripping the phone tightly in her hand. "Melinda…"

"That's the problem," Fin interrupted. "I've got Mel, and she's great. I thought Stabler was still married, too, but then I saw you two…before…with that mistletoe thing. And the way you were lookin' at each other when you were dancin,' the way you held each other and the way you moved…what's goin' on?"

"I'd like an answer to that, too, actually," Casey said, having caught the last bit of Fin's explanation.

Munch heard his watch beep, telling him he had worn Alex's shirt for a full three minutes. As he and Alex changed back into their actual clothes, he said, "We all would."

Elliot looked at Olivia, he sighed and shrugged. "If you want," he mumbled.

Olivia looked at the people in the room. Fin and Melinda, Casey and Trevor, Alex and Munch, and she bit her bottom lip. She wanted to shout it from the rooftops, but telling her closest friends in such an intimate way was a challenge. She took a breath. She took Elliot's hand, and she opened her mouth, but before any sound could be made, the windows behind the couch shattered, letting a pile of snow slide into the living room.

Elliot pulled Olivia off of the couch and into his arms, panicked when he thought she was in the way of the falling glass and heavy ice. "Are you okay?" He asked.

Shivering but not injured, she nodded. "You?" she asked.

Melinda and Fin, in a similar cuddle across the room looked around with wide eyes. "This is bad," Melinda said.

Alex, her arm linked with Munch's, shook her head. "I never should have invited you guys out here. Mountains this time of year are awful. I didn't think…"

"Hey," Casey said. "We're gonna be fine. Just…we just need to keep trying our cell phones, right?" she suggested, pulling out hers and handing it to Trevor.

Alex let go of Munch. "I'll go get blankets and pillows." She left the room with Casey following her.

Fin and Elliot looked at each other, nodding once. "I'll start a fire," Elliot said. "You, Trevor, and Munch see if you can find a way to get the snow back out through the window."

Fin moved, gesturing to Trevor and Munch, but as they tried it was no use. The snow was too heavily packed and still falling, there was no way they could get it out, and as they tried, more kept spilling into the room.

"Forget it," Munch said, dropping the trash can he'd been using as a scoop.

Alex came back into the room and handed out blankets and pillows, and mugs of hot cocoa with Casey's help. "The hot water still works, thank God," she said, sitting beside Munch.

Elliot chose a spot in the corner, to the left of the fire, and pulled Olivia into his arms as he wrapped them snuggly in their blanket. He kissed her cheek, figuring showing was better than telling.

"This blows," Fin said as they snuggled, referring to more than just the suddenly treacherous conditions in the living room.

Melinda eyed him cautiously, but said nothing. And he was stunned when she got up and walked around, holding her phone in the air.

Trevor, huddling under a blanket with Casey, shook his head. "You'd be surprised to know that this is the best Christmas I've ever had." He kissed Casey's cheek. "This really isn't that bad."

Elliot laughed. "No, you're right," he said, holding Olivia closer. He was stunned, though, when she pushed him away and got up, walking around the room with her phone in her hands. "Liv, baby, what are you doing?"

"Gimme a minute," she said, responding to his look.

He rolled his eyes and then looked around as the group of people, all afraid to admit they were scared. "So, uh, yeah. Me and Liv. Stop asking."

"When?" Alex questioned, smiling.

Elliot ran a hand down his face. "A while ago," he said, staying as private as possible, fearing revealing too much would cause more trouble that he didn't need tonight.

"How serious is it?" Fin asked, ignoring the slap in the shoulder he got from Melinda.

Olivia returned, saving him from answering. She snuggled close to him, shivering against him under the blanket.

"Did you get through to the kids?" Elliot asked, kissing her cheek again.

She nodded against his warm skin. "It's bad in Queens , too," she said, "But nothing like this. I gave them the address, told them to call Cragen and send help.,"

"My little genius," he said with a chuckle, kissing her once more.

"Hope they can make it here," Munch said, holding onto Alex.

Elliot looked over at the man. "Me too, man. I've never been away from my kids on Christmas." He looked at the shattered window and pondered for a moment. "I don't intend to start now."

**A/N: That sounds like Stabler has an idea! Uh-oh! Part two coming soon! **


	22. Snowed In Part Two

**A/N: A continuation and conclusion of a less than perfect evening.**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and related characters/ideas belong to Dick Wolf. Original plot and dialogue belong to TStabler©**

Olivia saw the look in Elliot's eyes as he stared at the window, and the mound of snow that had accumulated on the carpet before it. "No," she said, holding him tighter. "Don't even think about it."  
"Baby," he whispered to her, his eyes darting to hers, "It's a way out. I've climbed through smaller things in much more…"

"Even if you get outside," she interrupted, "The car is buried under a couple feet of snow. You can't dig us out, El, you'll freeze to death before you even…"

"Watch me," he said, pushing her away. He grabbed his scarf, hat, gloves, and coat off of Alex's coat rack as Olivia stood.

"El, please!" she shouted, trying to deter him.

He turned. "I am not letting my kids spend Christmas alone in a new house, Liv," he said. "Especially when it's supposed to be our first Christmas, together, ya know? I had plans for tonight, and as much as I love the people I work with, they're not included!"

"Gee, thanks," Munch grumbled.

Elliot looked at him and snapped, "I don't want to spend Christmas, what was supposed to be the best Christmas I've had since I was eleven and my father finally bought me the bike I wanted, freezing to death on a floor, while someone else makes googly eyes at my girlfriend all night!" He shot Fin a harsh glare and zipped up his coat.

Melinda was staring at him just as harshly. "What's he talking about?" she asked.

Fin shrugged. "He's pissed, you know he says stupid shit when he's angry," he said with an eye-roll.

Olivia tilted her head and scoffed, a half-smirk grazing her lips. She looked back at Elliot. "I am asking you," she said, walking toward him, "Please, do not go out there in this storm." She took his hand in her left as her right cupped the side of his angered, reddened face. Her thumb stroked lightly under his eye, she stared deeply into his eyes. "El, baby, please," she whispered.

His face softened. He blinked. "Honey, I…"

"I know," she whispered. "I wanna be there with them, too. I want our perfect Christmas as much as you do, if not more. But I want you alive, and here with me, warm and safe a lot more than I want to decorate cookies and watch "It's A Wonderful Life!"

He nodded slowly, giving in, nuzzling his face into her hand. He kissed her palm and pulled her close, oblivious to the people around them, staring.

Casey cleared her throat. "So," she said, "Um, what was your favorite Christmas memory, Munch? We already know that Stabler loved that bike," she laughed.

There were a few chuckles as Olivia helped Elliot strip off his layers and then led him back to their blanket.

Munch, his hand wrapped around Alex's tightly, said, "Well, I'm Jewish," he said, earning a few laughs. But Ninety-Five," and blinked. "December of Ninety-Five. It snowed in the morning, I walked through a bunch of carolers and smelled roasting nuts, and it was my first winter in New York, as a detective in the unit. So different from Baltimore."

Melinda hummed and smiled. "My favorite Christmas was probably, the year I found out I was pregnant." She looked out the window and said, "Thank God she's with her father this year. It isn't storming like this in California."

More laughter and then Fin gave his answer. "Christmas of Two-Thousand," he said. "I think only one other person in this room even knows what I'm talkin' about, but that Christmas…man." He shook his head and chuckled. "The precinct party that year was unforgettable. I was in Narcotics, but I remember staring at this, uh, other unit's table all night. It was really somethin' to see a group of people so close. That's when I decided to transfer." He sipped his beer and eyes Elliot cautiously.

"I remember that party," Elliot said, responding to the glare. He looked at Olivia and said, "You stopped everyone in their tracks when you walked in, in that slinky, red thing," he chuckled, running his hand up her thigh. "I swear, Kathy almost left me that night because I kept staring at you."

Olivia chuckled and kissed him. "Better late than never," she said with a wink.

"What about you, Benson?" Fin asked. "What's your favorite Christmas memory?"

"I don't have one," she said, clearing her throat quickly and looking down at the fire. She snuggled closer to Elliot, he knew she wasn't comfortable anymore.

"Oh, come on, Olivia," Alex said, reaching over and nudging her slightly. "Everyone has one."

Olivia sighed. "Aside from this one? Besides tonight?" she gruffed. "My favorite Christmas would probably be…I was ten years old, and it's one of the few holidays I can remember my mother being sober for. She took me to see the Rockettes at Radio City."

Elliot squeezed her hand, she squeezed back. "Sounds nice," he whispered.

She laughed. "It was," she said. "We had a great time, ya know. She took me around the block to see the tree afterward, and then we went to dinner. I told her I wanted to be just like the girls on that stage one day. They looked so happy, and they were so talented." She brushed a tear away. "She told me I was already just as beautiful, just as talented, and we could work on the happy."

Casey smiled. "You had a good night," she whispered.

Olivia nodded. "It was a wonderful night. She was a mother, a real mother, for a couple of hours anyway. Then we got home, she started in on the Vodka. She came into my room that night, and I thought she was gonna read me a story or hold me for a while or something else motherly. She just looked at me and said, 'Now that I think about it, you're not pretty enough to be a Rockette. You never will be." She sighed and said, "And that was as good as it got for me."

Elliot pressed his lips to her forehead, closing his eyes, feeling her pain and whishing he could take it away. "You're more beautiful and more talented than any Rockette I've ever seen."

She smiled and held him tighter, whispering a soft, "I love you."

Trevor blinked away a pitiful tear, and shook his head. "Is it sad that my favorite Christmas was the one right after my last semester at NYU?" he laughed. "The only reason it's my favorite is because I was officially done. A real lawyer. I was so wrapped up in my own personal victory, I forgot to buy presents and cards, so I went home empty-handed. Everyone hated me that year."

Olivia chuckled, and she nodded at him, thanking him for telling that story just to cheer her up. "Everyone still hates you," she teased with a wink. "Well, except Casey."

Trevor laughed. "Thanks, Benson."

She smirked, curling tighter against Elliot. "Anytime, Langan," she said.

Elliot kissed the end of Olivia's nose, then looked over at Alex and said, "What about you, Cabot?"

"Oh, uh, last year's Annual Yule Gala," she said. "Cops, lawyers, and a lot of alcohol. Something in the egg nog that night made me this guy was really cute. I had him wrapped around my finger by New Year's Eve," she laughed. "Realizing I loved him, that was the best Christmas ever."

Munch kissed her, grinning. Then he looked toward the window. "Oh, uh, I think it…I think it stopped snowing." He got to his feet and ran toward the mountain of snow in the room. "It did!" he yelled happily to everyone.

Elliot looked at Olivia. "Can I go try to…"

"Go," she said, kissing him.

"I'll help you, man," Trevor said, leaving Casey on her blanket and getting his winter wear on.

Melinda looked at Fin expectantly. "Fine," Fin said, rolling his eyes. He kissed her cheek and got up, begrudgingly getting his coat on to help the men dig out the cars.

As soon as Elliot, Trevor and Fin made it safely through the window, Casey and Alex ran over to Olivia, practically squealing.

"Spill it, Girl," Melinda said, smirking as she, too, sat near Olivia.

"Spill what?" Olivia asked.

Alex scoffed. "You and Stabler? Details!"

"Is he good in bed?" Casey asked.

Melinda bit her lip. "Always wanted to know that, myself," she chuckled.

Olivia laughed. "Oh, God," she mumbled. "Um, yes, very. Now could you…"

"How long have you been sleeping with him?" Alex asked.

Olivia blinked. "Kathy left in October," she said, pondering.

"Yeah," Casey said, waiting.

Olivia smirked and her eyes narrowed a bit. "Since October," she said smugly. The girls laughed and Olivia said, "No, seriously, this is all…really new. It's so…real, ya know? Nothing in my life has ever felt this real." She swallowed and said, "It was so hard keeping it a secret for so long."

"See, getting snowed in here wasn't so bad," Alex said, nudging her. "You got that out, right?"

Olivia laughed. "It really wasn't a bad night," she said with a shrug. "After the fight, it all seemed to…"

"What was that fight about anyway?" Casey asked, looking at Melinda then Olivia.

Olivia shook her head and said, "Nothing."

Melinda chuckled. "Fin's a little hung up on Olivia," she said, rolling her eyes. "And before you ask, yeah, I know."

"I swear, I never…"

Melinda interrupted. "As long as I've known you, you had a thing for Elliot. I know you had no idea about Fin, and you have never given him any reason to think he had a chance with you. Now you've got Elliot, so you won't anytime soon." She smiled. "This Christmas opened my eyes to a lot of things. The way you love him, the way he loves you…Fin and I will never have that. It's been a blessing to find that out, Olivia. Thank you."

Elliot, covered in snow and shivering, pushed his way through the door before Olivia could say anything. "Liv!" he called, his face red and his lips slightly more blue and chapped than they had been when he was inside.

She stood, looking at him.

"Baby," he said, "We're going home." He ran to her and pulled her into his arms. "We're going home, honey."

She sighed as her eyes closed, and despite the frost on his coat, her arms surrounded him. "Thank God," she whispered.

"Thank Fin," he said, turning toward the door. "He dug out the tires himself when me and Trevor tried to get the damn engine to start." He looked at Olivia again, and said, "He said he couldn't stand to see you upset, and he wanted you to have a really happy Christmas, this year. I guess that story about your mother got to him."

She looked at Fin, who looked frozen as he walked into the room. "No," she said. "You and me. We got to him." She smiled sadly at Fin and mouthed, "Thank you."

"Merry Christmas," he said to her, meeting her eyes. "Go spend it with your family, Baby-Girl."

Trevor and Munch walked in, then, brushing their clothes off. "Cars are cleaned off and started," Trevor said.

Munch looked at his watch, wiped the frost off of the glass face, and said, "One in the morning. Merry Christmas, guys."

Wishes of happiness filtered through the room, and Olivia and Elliot were the first to leave, getting into their car and turning on the heat. They watched, amused, as the plow barreled down the road, paving their way home. "Merry Christmas, baby," Elliot said, grabbing her hand as he took his foot off the break.

"Merry Christmas, El," she said back, squeezing his hand. She watched in the side mirror as the reflection of Alex's mountain home faded. She smiled, thinking to herself how getting snowed in had made its way to the top of the list, and was now, officially, her favorite Christmas memory. At least, it would be until they made it home.

**A/N: Next: Christmas cookies, mistletoe, a tree, but something is missing, according to Eli. And the kids find a way to get it. First holiday fic this year with the baby! But…with a twist ;) **


	23. Repeat One Shot

**A/N: Little Eli asked a simple question, or tried to, and the other kids take it upon themselves to interpret it as a Christmas wish. One they fulfill. **

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and related characters/ideas belong to Dick Wolf. Original plot and dialogue belong to TStabler©**

"Who dat?" Eli, the toddler and youngest in the Stabler household, asked as he pointed to an old picture in the photo album through which he was pawing.

"That's our mother," Maureen said, though she sounded irritated about it. "Her name's Kathy, she lives in Chicago with some doctor we've never met."

"We met him," Kathleen countered. "Once," she added, backing away from them and into the kitchen.

"Daddy?" Eli questioned, pointing to the nervous looking man next to her.

Dickie, the only other boy in the family, laughed. "Yeah, booger. That's Dad. He looks terrified. Can't blame him."

Lizzie, taking the album, said, "This was their wedding picture. They were married. That's…"

"Mommy?" Eli asked, tilting his head.

"No, uh, she's not your mommy," Maureen said, looking around warily. "Great, we confused him now."

"Your mommy is…see, we have different mommies," Lizzie attempted. "Eli?"

Eli scooted off the couch and ran to the mantle, pointing at the other pictures. "Mommy!" he squealed, pointing to his real mother. Then ran to the photo album again and tapped the wedding picture. "Daddy? Mommy?"

Dickie gasped. "I think he's asking if Liv and Dad are married," he said.

"How do we explain this to him?" Kathleen asked from the doorway leading to the kitchen. "Somehow, I don't think he'll understand, 'Hey, kid, Dad knocked up your mother two years ago and they just haven't had the time to…"

"Nott up?" Eli asked, looking at his big sister with inquisitive eyes.

"Good one, Kat!" Maureen yelled.

Lizzie rolled her eyes. "You know this kid repeats everything he hears."

Eli shrugged and ran off, singing his ABC's at the top of his lungs, as a light bulb seemed to go off over Maureen's head. "He does, doesn't he?"

With that, the Stabler kids set their plan into motion. They spent the majority of their Christmas Eve waiting for their father and Olivia to get home from work, and passed the time by making sure Eli repeated exactly what they said, when they wanted him to say it.

* * *

The next morning, after a family breakfast, the kids got cleaned up and Elliot and Olivia headed into the den to start the movie they always watched while opening gifts.

They had no idea the greatest gift would be one they couldn't open, one that was on its way toward them.

"Do you think he understands? Do you think he knows what he's saying?" Dickie asked in a whisper, holding his little brother's hand as they headed toward the den.

Lizzie, beside him, shrugged. "I just know he has learned to say it," she chuckled. "We trained him well enough, so let's see if he can do this. We don't have a lot of time here. We want this done before the last present is opened, right?"

Dickie cleared his throat and walked into the Den, taking an excited Eli toward his father and Olivia. "Hey, parental units! Merry Christmas," he said cheerfully, letting the boy go.

Eli immediately ran toward the tree and started shaking branches, sending ornaments flying. Elliot got up quickly and grabbed him. "What did Daddy tell you about that?" he asked the tot.

"No!" Eli shouted with a laugh. "Daddy, I sowwy!"

Elliot sighed. "It is impossible to be mad at you," he said, throwing the boy up in the air and catching him, while Olivia picked up the scattered decorations. "Are your sisters almost ready?" he asked, looking at Lizzie.

The teenaged blonde nodded, and waited to speak until Olivia had gotten to Elliot's side. "They'll be down in a minute. Oh, hey! Look, you guys are under the mistletoe!"

Olivia looked up. "I don't remember hanging…"

"Tradition, Liv," Dickie interrupted with a shrug. He turned and discreetly gave Lizzie a thumbs up. Eli was an amazing, little distraction.

Elliot looked at Olivia. "Who are we to argue with tradition?" he quipped with a smirk.

"Oh, I agree," Olivia said, returning his smirk.

As soon as their lips touched, little Eli squirmed and clapped in his father's arms and shouted, "Marry Daddy!"

Olivia and Elliot pulled apart, looked at him. They glanced at each other curiously, then Olivia spoke. "Are you trying to say 'Merry Christmas?" she asked with a bright smile and the sparkling eyes of a mother. "Merry…"

Eli tilted his head and looked at his mother. "Marry…"

"Christmas," she said, tickling him.

He squealed and said, "Crithmath," as best he could through his giggled.

Elliot laughed and kissed his son's forehead, then looked back at Olivia and winked, moving in to kiss her again.

And just as before, as soon as they kissed, Eli squealed, "Marry Mommy!"

They pulled apart again, while Maureen and Kathleen came into the room with bundles of wrapped packages. "What did he just say?" Elliot asked, stunned, having a feeling he knew.

Maureen held in a laugh. "I dunno, Dad. He's only two, but it sounded like he's telling you to marry Liv."

"He'll be three in March," Elliot said as he let out a cough, as if he couldn't quite breathe, and he put his son down. "That's…no, he…he doesn't even know what that means."

"He watches an awful lot of television," Dickie said with his father's tricky grin.

Olivia narrowed her eyes and picked up her son. "I don't think anyone on Dora the Explorer or Yo Gabba Gabba has been getting married."

"Guys, just, uh, just sit," Elliot commanded. "Oldest kid first, so Mo, have at it."

Maureen handed out her gifts to everyone, smirking, and then dug through the ones under the tree to find hers. She had a large group of gifts in her arms, then she jerked her head at Kathleen as she moved to a spot on the floor. "Your turn," she mumbled, spreading her collection around.

Kathleen doled out her presents, and then moved toward the tree, slowly stepping over Maureen and her boxes, and searched among the gifts for her own. "You guys didn't have to…oh," she said, tossing one to her father. "I don't even want to open that one."

Elliot waved the present from Kathy in response to Olivia's questioning gaze. "She's still pissed that Kathy moved," he whispered to her.

Olivia shook her head a bit, then shrugged as she leaned in and kissed him.

"Marry Daddy!" they heard, Eli's cheerful voice yelling from the corner of the room. He had a bow from one of Maureen's gifts in his mouth and he was looking at his parents expectantly.

"So now he wants me to marry you," Olivia said, chuckling.

"Something's going on, here," Elliot said, watching as the twins grabbed their gifts and began opening them. "Guys!" he yelled. "Where did he get the idea…"

"Dad," Kathleen said, pulling a leather jacket covered with zippers out of a box. "This is awesome!"

"Yeah," he said dismissively, "Why is my son telling me to…"

Lizzie yelled, interrupting him, as she opened up a card with a fifty dollar gift certificate to a local bookstore. "Thank you!" she said happily.

"You're welcome, honey," Olivia said.

"Okay," Elliot said, standing, "Someone tell me why my two year old son is telling us to get married!"

Eli ran over to his father and pulled on his pant leg. Elliot looked down and raised an eyebrow. "Yes?" he prodded with a smirk.

Eli smiled up at him and whispered, "Marry Mommy."

Elliot grinned. He winked at his son, then moved toward the Christmas tree. He bent down, pushed a few gifts aside, and grabbed a small package. He got to his feet and walked back toward the couch. "I don't know how you knew," he said, lifting the boy onto his lap. "Give this to Mommy, buddy."

Eli took the box out of his father's hand, held it out to his mother, and giggled. Olivia looked at her son, head tilted, then glanced at Elliot. She slowly, knowingly, opened the box. A tear rolled down her cheek as she peeled the paper off, as the nerves began to affect her. When the velvet box was exposed, she held her breath, and looked nervously at Elliot as she flipped open the top. "El," she gasped.

Elliot said nothing, he leaned over, wiped the tears away from her cheeks with his thumbs, and kissed her sweetly.

"Marry Daddy!" Eli chirped from Elliot's lap.

Elliot kissed her again and whispered, "Yeah, Liv. Marry Daddy."

Olivia cupped his face, letting the box drop into her lap as she sniffled, and she whispered, "Marry Mommy."

They kissed again, and the kids clapped. "It's about time," Lizzie quipped.

"I knew teaching the pipsqueak that little trick would work," Dickie laughed.

Olivia and Elliot pulled apart and looked at their other children, covered with scraps of wrapping paper and bits of tape. "What?" Elliot asked.

Maureen sighed. "We did it," she said. "We kind of taught him to say 'marry mommy' and 'marry daddy' whenever you kissed, hoping you'd get the hint. We didn't know it was part of your Christmas plan the whole time."

"You guys are…you guys are definitely Stablers," Olivia laughed, feeling Elliot slip the ring onto her finger.

"So are you, Liv," Kathleen said, smiling at her soon-to-be-stepmother.

Maureen shook her head. "I just wanna know why it's taken this long. Three years is a long time to…"

"I wasn't sure I wanted to get married again, to be honest," Elliot said, interrupting, sighing. "The first time didn't pan out so good, and what I had with Liv…what we have…it's so special, and important. I had already changed things with her by making a move, and I didn't want to screw it all up by asking her to marry me, knowing the hell the first time around was. I couldn't take it if we ended up like me and your mother." He looked at her and said, "But I realized that I was just scared. What we've got is so much stronger, better. I knew we'd be fine." He laughed and said, "Besides, I know she's not really the marrying type."

Scoffing, Olivia elbowed her new fiancée in the ribs. "I'm marrying you aren't I?"

"Only because our son told you to," he quipped, kissing her nose.

She looked into his eyes, smirked, and said, "Don't pull that crap. You can't say no to him, either."

"I can't," he agreed with a grin and a shrug.

"You won't be able to say no to our daughter, either," she whispered to him.

He stilled, smiled, and chuckled. "You…are you really? We're having a baby?"

She laughed and nodded. "I waited to tell you, I wanted Christmas to really be special this year," she said. Then she looked down. "You kinda stole my thunder, though."

He laughed and kissed her.

"Merry Chrithmath!" Eli cheered, playing with the bow he'd been chewing on, bouncing up and down on Elliot's lap.

Olivia and Elliot laughed. They both looked at their son, a mop of brown hair shooting in all directions sitting atop a blue-eyed, grinning face. "I couldn't have said it better myself," Elliot said, kissing his son.

As they opened the rest of their gifts, they realized they'd already had the best gift ever, given to them long before Christmas. Each other.

**A/N: Tomorrow marks the FINAL update. It's going to be pretty great. ;)**


	24. Christmas Shoes One Shot

**A/N: Merry Christmas Eve, Everyone! Hope this is worthy of being your final Xmas update!**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns the characters. The song that is used, for inspiration, is "Christmas Shoes" by Bob Carlisle. I love the song, and had to use it! That's pretty much it. Everything else written before you is pure TStabler©**

"Why are we here, again?" Dickie asked, looking around. "Can't she get her own shoes?"

Elliot hit his son in the head. "Could you be nice, for, like, five minutes? She has to work until six. Besides, she, uh, she doesn't exactly know..."

"Dad, hold up!" Dickie interrupted, a pointy high-heel in his hand. "You dragged me outta bed at six, made me walk all around this city to get her a dress, a ring, and now shoes, and she doesn't even know we're goin' anywhere to...wait, what was the ring for?"

Elliot smirked. "Just look around for anything simple, black, and high. She likes the ones normal people can't walk in, ya know? Prove she's Superwoman," he said, avoiding the question.

Dickie sighed and walked down an aisle looking for the perfect shoes, while Elliot wandered toward the section of designer heels at the front of the store. He heard a small voice from the register, though, which made him turn around. He saw, before him a small girl, her clothes torn and stained, and he tilted his head in wonderment.

"Sir I wanna buy these shoes for my Momma, please," the little girl said. "It's Christmas Eve and these shoes are just her size!" She started to pull change, pennies and nickels, out of her tiny pockets. Then she sniffled, trying not to cry. "Could you hurry Sir?" she asked, frantically trying to find more change in her pockets. "Daddy says there's not much time. You see, she's been sick for quite a while, and I know these shoes will make her smile." She raised a hand and dropped a handful of change on the counter. "And I want her to look beautiful, if Momma meets Jesus, tonight."

Elliot was in complete shock. He watched as the man behind the counter slid the change back to the child.

The clerk sighed, and shook his head. "You just...you just don't have enough, kid," the clerk said, a sad look in his eyes.

The child looked in her hands, at the few single and ripped dollar bills she had. She held them up to him. "But...aren't they...on sale?" she asked, her voice breaking. She turned around and looked at Elliot, which surprised him, and what she said next broke his heart. "Momma made Christmas good at our house, though most years she just did without." A tear slid down the girl's cheek, and she sniffled again as Elliot stared. "Tell me, Sir, what am I gonna do?" she asked, shaking her little head and her hands trembling. "Somehow I've got to buy her these Christmas shoes."

Elliot swallowed hard and took a few steps toward the counter. He pulled his credit card out of his pocket and slapped it on the counter, looking the clerk in the eyes. "Ring up the shoes," he said sternly.

The man nodded, attempting to smile as Elliot did what he couldn't do, and he slid the card through the machine. He put the shoes in their box, then into a bag, and handed them to the small child. "Here ya go, kid," he said, what sounded like a cry in his voice.

The little girl's eyes widened and filled with tears as she turned her head to slowly look at Elliot. "Thank you!" she cried, throwing her arms around him. "I want her to look beautiful, if Momma meets Jesus tonight," she said, repeating her reason for needing the shoes as she looked up into his eyes.

Elliot nodded. "She'll look beautiful, honey," he said, choking on the tears.

The young girl hugged him again and then ran out of the store. Dickie had witnessed everything, and he walked toward his father. "That was...that was really cool, Dad."

Elliot nodded. He looked at his son and said, "Yeah. I just...I just realized what Christmas is really all about, kiddo." He picked up his used credit card off of the counter and left the store.

"But, Dad! Liv's shoes!" Dickie yelled after him, holding up the perfect pair of black stilettos, but Elliot didn't hear him. Dickie dropped the heels onto the counter and ran out after his father.

* * *

The restaurant was packed, which wasn't odd for a Christmas Eve in the city, but it was quiet. Elliot held Olivia's hand in his, her new diamond sparkling on her finger, her new dress fitting around every curve perfectly, and he couldn't stop starting or smiling.

"Dad," Dickie called, poking at his cake, "Are you all right?"

Elliot nodded. "I'm just thinking about that little girl," he said. "She...she made me realize that we are so...so lucky to have what we have, ya know?" He squeezed Olivia's hand, got a squeeze in return. "Christmas...the gifts are nice, the decorations are pretty, but when it comes down to it, it's love. Family. Being thankful that we...we're not in that position."

Olivia squeezed his hand again and kissed his cheek. "You're a good person, El. Doing what you did for her, that was incredible."

He shrugged. "Maybe, but the whole time I was thinking, what would I do if you were...if that was you, and one of the kids wanted to buy you something nice if you were..." he shook his head. "I can't even talk about it."

"It's not me," she whispered. "I'm right here, and I am perfectly happy, and healthy. We all are," she said, giving him another kiss. "And you made that little girl's Christmas with her mother truly special." She kissed him again and he squeezed her hand. "You did a good thing, honey."

"Is that why you said 'yes?" he asked, sniffling, trying to joke.

She chuckled. "You told me the story after I said, 'yes,' but it did make me fall in love with you a little more," she told him. She kissed him again, then turned to finish the desert they were sharing. She held out a forkful of cake and ice cream to him, he ate it happily, ending their Christmas Eve dinner on a high note.

* * *

Olivia walked into the kitchen early the next morning. "You got up early," she said, seeing Elliot at the table with a cup of coffee in his hands. She walked toward him, looked into his eyes, and asked, "What's wrong?"

"I, uh, I got a phone call," he said, sipping. "A woman died last night, in the low-income apartments a few blocks away from the restaurant. Guy said she was in rags, but was wearing brand new shoes," he said, looking up at Olivia.

Olivia's eyes fell. She knew.

Elliot continued. "They found a receipt with my name on it in her coat pocket. Carson from the two-nine called to ask how that happened, how I knew her," he explained, taking another sip of his coffee.

"Oh, El," Olive sighed, sitting beside him. She took his hand.

He shook his head and smiled at her. "It's all right. I told him what happened, he said that the little girl, the woman's daughter, had told him the same thing, only she kept calling me her Christmas angel."

Olivia swallowed, smiled at him, and she said, "That's...that's sweet."

"It's just her and her father now," he told her. "I told Carson to give them my number, and if they need anything..."

"Yeah," she said, squeezing his hand again. "Of course."

He shook his head. "Losing her on Christmas," he mumbled. Then he smiled. "The little girl got her wish, Liv. Her mother looked beautiful when she met Jesus."

"El, you..." but he pulled on her hand and leaned forward, looking into her eyes, stopping her words.

"I love you," he said. "I love you more than anything."

She looked into his eyes, the severity in them was frightening, but she smiled. "I love you, too, El." She felt the tug again and she was pulled further into his arms.

He wrapped his arms around her, sighed as his head fell into the crook of her neck, and said, "I don't wanna wake the kids, yet, baby. The presents can wait. I just wanna hold you for a while. This is what Christmas is for me. Love. You. Knowing we're all here and safe, with you in my arms, where you belong."

She kissed his neck, the spot where her lips had fallen, and said, "Merry Christmas, El."

**A/N: And Merry Christmas to all of you!**


End file.
